Revival of the Gods
by Aroband
Summary: Link just wants to graduate high school. With only a few months to go and an amazing girlfriend, his life is going pretty well. Sure, he's having weird dreams and aching pains in his hand, but that's probably nothing. Until he's told he has a destiny to fulfill with a goddess and goes from carefree senior to hero. (Modern Hyrule)
1. Chapter 1

I stood in the middle of a massive field. Tall grass surrounded me and stretched as far as I could see, dotted with wildflowers. As I gazed in awe at the field, I heard a faint scream from behind me. I turned around and saw a sight that almost made me fall over.

Dark clouds, sickly pink and black rumbled with the threat of rain, but they didn't look normal. They surged and churned in the sky, and almost looked like they were held back by an invisible barrier. As I watched, the clouds billowed and writhed more, and suddenly blasted out, like ink dropped in water, rushing across the clear sky. As the shadow of the clouds covered the field, the grass seemed to twist and shrivel to a dark gray color. Flowers wilted and turned to ash, and the bare stalks grew new thorns, turning into sharp briars. I looked back up to the clouds and saw that they were getting closer. Much closer. I tried to lift my feet to run, but they wouldn't obey me. I struggled as hard as I could but couldn't get unstuck. Suddenly, I caught a blob of white moving in front of the approaching wave of shadow and corruption.

Even though she was yards away, I could tell that the blob was a woman, really a girl, about the same age as me. She was dressed in a modest white dress that fluttered behind her as she ran, as did her golden braided hair. I thought there were hints of gold in her outfit as well but had no time to look closer as I realized that the girl was running straight at me. I again tried to move but remained rooted in place.

As the girl got closer to me, I heard that she was yelling something. With a start, I realized it was my name.

"Link! Link!" she yelled, urgency and fear clear in her voice. "Wake up! You have to wake up!" Reacting impulsively to her cry, I braced myself to catch her as she leaped towards me.

She plowed into me, making me fall to the ground, but the weight that hit me was way more than I had expected from the slight girl. With suddenly no air to breathe, my eyes flew open. Instead of the girl I had seen, on above me was my cousin Sheik, bouncing on the bed to helpfully wake me up.

"Oi, Linkoln! Get up quick! Cremia is outside the door naked!" I responded by clutching my stomach and rolling off the bed, gasping and trying to refill my empty lungs, shooting Sheik a dirty look the whole time. Finally managing to find my lungs again, I slowly hauled myself to my feet, glowering at the dirty-blonde boy still bouncing on my bed.

"For the love of Nayru, Sheik! Why do you always do that? And why the Dark Realm would my girlfriend be naked outside my door at six in the morning on a Monday?!" I cursed, still shooting a glance out the open door of my bedroom. It couldn't hurt to check.

"Heck if I know. But it woke you up, didn't it? Now get your ass up. Breakfast is downstairs." With that, Sheik launched himself off the bed and out the door, laughing crazily with red Sheikah eyes glinting.

"And don't call me Linkoln. You know it's Link!" I screamed after him and dropped back onto the bed, wishing I could slip back into my dreams. I knew I was dreaming about something, but try as I might, I couldn't hold onto the details. Something about...something? Green? No... white? White something?

Giving up, I pulled myself up again and walked into my bathroom, where I took a quick shower, threw on a light pair of jean and my favorite green shirt, and trotted down to the glorious smell of bacon.

Shadren, my twin brother, stood in the kitchen hovering around Sheik's father, Hunter, as bacon fried in the pan, and Sheik ran his hand through his hair, trying to find his reflection in his plate.

"Shade, it won't cook faster if you stare at it," I groaned as Shade glanced at me with a smirk. "And Sheik, would you cut it out? You look fine."

"Yeah," Shade said, not moving his eyes from the sizzling bacon. "There are some things you just can't fix. Besides, Midna still won't notice you." Sheik mumbled something unflattering about Shade but still couldn't hide his blush.

"Play nice now boys. Here, eat up," Hunter chuckled and put the plates of eggs and bacon down on the kitchen table. The three of us dove at the food, scarfing it down in minutes. Wolf, our black and white family dog that certainly lived up to his name, came in from the living room, so I tossed him the few bacon scraps that were left.

Strange as our family was, we were content. Shade and I had lived with our uncle for almost 13 years, ever since our parents had died in a freak accident. And then, not three months later, Hunter's wife died of terminal cancer that the doctors had no way of treating. Heartbroken at the loss of his brother, sister-in-law, and wife, Hunter had adopted the two of us, and had raised us as his own. We didn't necessarily have a typical Hylian family, but we were still family.

Luckily, in my opinion, Shade and I never really had a "perfectly in sync identical twins" dynamic. I always felt a certain degree of pity for our family, and so I tried my best to make sure that other unfortunate people and families didn't have to go through what we did. Though I didn't always feel it, I tried to keep up a friendly appearance. No reason other people should feel bad just because I did. And while Shade didn't enjoy the pain of others, he didn't hold back his darker inner feelings and came across as more sullen and aloof. It wasn't so much that he didn't care, just that he didn't make any real effort. The end result was that people often saw us as opposites of each other, despite still looking nearly identical. The only real physical difference between us was that Shade's hair was more a platinum blonde, instead of the golden blonde my hair was. Standing next to each other, people swore that his hair was greyish-white. But regardless of our differences, we were still twins and shared almost everything with each other.

Swallowing the last of my food, I snapped out of my thoughts and glanced at the stove clock. Din, seven already. Mentally cursing, I rinsed my plate, stuffed it in the dishwasher, ran upstairs to grab my school bag, and bounced back down the stairs, yelling for the other two boys to hurry up, unless they wanted to be late for school again. Once they were ready to go, I grabbed my keys, yelled goodbye to Hunter, and drove over to our school, Hyrule High (really, who thought that name was a good idea), which was only about a mile away.

As soon as we parked, Shade hopped out of the car into the cool April air and jogged away to the school, though I knew he wouldn't show up to class until after the bell rang. Sheik and I walked to our first class, greeting friends along the way. Arriving at the room, we took our seats and waited for the teacher, Owlan Falc.

Glancing around, something I found myself doing all the time, I noticed an extra desk added to the end of my row. _A bit late for a new student. We're over halfway through the semester_ , I thought. _Must be a special case._ I was quickly distracted by my girlfriend, Cremia, walking into the room and sitting down between me and the new, empty desk. Trying very hard not to think of what Sheik had said that morning, I gave Cremia a smile I was so well known for and apparently had girls swooning over. I also caught Sheik turned around in his seat and wiggling his eyebrows mischievously out of the corner of my eye. I ignored him.

"Good morning, Link! How are you today?" Cremia exclaimed, joyful as always. That was part of why I liked her so much.

"Morning, Crem. A bit tired, but just fine otherwise." Cremia rolled her eyes and laughed. I was almost always tired.

"What are you doing next weekend? My dad is letting me have a big party for my birthday, so I'm inviting pretty much everyone." Crap, I had forgotten it was almost her birthday. Yeah, yeah, terrible boyfriend, I know. Sheik, never one to miss out on a chance to be a general annoyance, spun around in his chair, which was just in front of mine.

"Everyone? That includes me, right? Because there was that one party that 'everyone' went to that I was definitely not invited to."

"Yes, yes, Sheik, you can come too," Cremia said with a sigh. Sheik was the class clown and would be the chief troublemaker too if Shade hadn't fit that role all too well.

At that moment, Professor Owlan walked in the door, followed by a girl about my age. She seemed shy and kept her head down, clutching her books to her chest. _Guess I was right about the new student_ , I thought. Owlan cleared his throat to get the class' attention.

"Alright then, settle in there. Before we start, I'd like to introduce our new student, Zelda Harkinian." Zelda looked up and gave a little wave. And I think my heart stopped, but I'm not even sure about that.

I couldn't even think; I just starred in awe at the girl next to Owlan. She was a few inches shorter than me, I guessed, probably about 5'7. Her dark platinum blonde hair was down her back. She was wearing a modest, light pink blouse and a knee length white skirt. I couldn't help but notice her slim, pale legs. Moving my gaze back up, I again noticed her flattering figure. Sue me, I'm a guy. But it was her face that really caught my attention. Refined features, thin cheekbones, small nose, sweet lips, arched eyebrows, fluttering lashes, barely tanned skin, and ears pointed like mine, marking her as a Hylian. But most of all, her eyes. Light blue, like the color of the Lake Hylia in the sun. Zelda's eyes met mine, and I quickly dropped my gaze. Her eyes were surprisingly intense.

"She just moved here from Labrynna, and I'd like to encourage all of you to be nice to her. You were all new once too. Zelda, you can sit just over there, next to Cremia."

"Thank you," Zelda said, her voice soft, but confident. She had a tinge of a Labrynnian accent that made her that much more fascinating. At that moment, I could have sworn she was a goddess.

Throughout the rest of class, my mind refused to focus. I was normally a decently attentive student, but the new girl just wouldn't get out of my mind. Of course, it didn't help that she was six feet away. I kept shooting glances past Cremia to Zelda, only slightly worried Cremia would see me starring at the new girl.

I had no idea what Owlan said during class, despite Ancient Hyrulian History being one of my favorite classes, but I knew Sheik would pay enough attention to fill me in later. I always found the class quite easy anyway. As soon as the bell rang, I launched myself out the door, eager to get away from Zelda before I did something idiotic. I was really confused. I was normally cool around girls, confident. For some reason, those rules didn't apply to this Zelda Harkinian.

Cremia quickly caught up to me, having oh so cleverly noticed that something was up.

"What was that?" she asked. "You only ever bolt out of class like that when there's something wrong. So what's up?

 _Oh, you know_ , I ranted to myself. _I just fell hard for the new girl, who I'm pretty sure is beauty incarnate, so much so that I couldn't keep my eyes off her. And yes, I know that I'm dating you, but I'm kind of losing it here. I had to run because I was seriously worried I would do something completely moronic in front of everyone, like ask her out on the spot. Nonononono, deep breath now._

"Nothing. Just had to get out of there. Kind of antsy today." Apparently I managed to make the lie believable, because Cremia dropped the issue.

"Alright, well, I've got to get to Math, so I'll see you at lunch."

"Okay. See you later!" I said with a quick grin.

I started off to my next class, which was Hylian with Mr. Gaepora. Sheik was in the same class, and usually walked with me. I realized where he was likely to be just a second too late.

I worked out pretty regularly, which was a very good thing when Sheik crashed into me, clinging to my back. With a loud *oof*, I stumbled forward, but managed to stay upright. Sheik then started talking far too loud directly into my pointed ear.

"So then, how about that Zelda girl? Pretty cute right. At least, you certainly seem to think so. Half the times I turned around in class, you were staring at her like you were in the Gerudo Desert and she was an oasis. Don't think I've ever seen that look on your face, even around Cremia." I could hear the mischievous grin in his voice.

"Oh for Din's sake, shut up," I muttered, and shoved Sheik off my back. Unfazed, Sheik jumped into step next to me. Various classmates greeted us as we passed them in the hall. For some reason, half the girls in the school apparently had a crush on me and didn't exactly hide it. As such, all the guys that have crushes on those girls or just wanted to be popular liked to hang around me, in hopes that someday someone would look down from the sun that apparently was my face and notice them. Because of that, I knew almost everyone in the school. My friend circle was huge, but my close friends were relatively few. Sometimes being the popular guy could be lonely. Sheik, in his own right, was known far and wide as the joker, and most were always willing to share a laugh with him.

Not only the boys noticed our passing. Despite my status of having a girlfriend for six months, that didn't stop the other girls in the school from trying to steal me away, or something like that. As we passed, I would often spare a glance at any of the girls I knew, who would practically faint at my slight smile and promptly erupt into giggles and whispers behind me. Some weren't even that subtle, practically dressing as if they were going to the beach. I ignored those girls. Really, have some respect for yourselves.

Arriving to class and finding our seats, Sheik and I joked around with some of the other guys until class started. When Mr. Gaepora, who had eyebrows like you wouldn't believe if you didn't see them, got to class, I had almost forgotten about Zelda, at least enough to focus on school properly.

No sooner than that thought passed my mind, Zelda walked in the door and was introduced as a new student for the end of the year. After the same quiet "thank you" that I had heard not two hours earlier, she moved to the empty seat next to me, which I had somehow not noticed. Catching my eye, she gave me a little smile. My heart stopped again, but I think I managed something like a smile this time. Zelda quickly sat down and faced the front, where Gaepora was starting in on something about tenses. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

 _*Since they don't really speak English, it didn't seem right to call the class "English". Thus, Hylian, since I would assume that's what they would speak. Also, I'm comparing Zelda's Labrynnian accent to something vaguely British. Because British accents are sexy as hell._

 _Let me know what you think!_


	2. Chapter 2

A week later, I was no better off than I had been the week before. It turned out that Zelda was in three of my five classes before lunch, and one after. Naturally, she sat by me in every single one, because I'm just that lucky. I thanked the goddesses that she wasn't in my gym class too. I probably would have fallen on my face if I saw her in gym clothes. Fortunately, out of all my classes, Cremia and Zelda were only in History together, so my girlfriend likely wouldn't notice me staring at Zelda all day. That might have been awkward. And of course, being a fool, I thought I could work with this, get over myself and my stupid obsession with Zelda. Unfortunately, not quite that easy.

Lunch on Tuesday, I was sitting with Sheik, Shade, and Cremia, along with some of the guys and girls I knew from around the school. Oh, the burden of being popular.

I was taking a long drink of my milk when I heard the words, "How about that Zelda girl?" I almost spewed my drink all over Shade but managed to keep it to a heavy coughing fit.

"I'm fine, fine. Just *cough* went down wrong," I said between my lungs seizing. Soon enough, the conversation went back to the original topic: Zelda Harkinian. Great.

"Man, she is a sweet sight. I wonder if she's taken," one guy, Kafei said. I couldn't help but wonder the same.

"Doubtful," Mikau, a Zora who was quite good at guitar, spoke up. "She moved here from Labrynna. That's pretty far away. If she is dating someone, that's one heck of a long-distance relationship." A smirk crossed Kafei's face.

"Might just have to try and get in on that action then." Sheik, ever the helpful one, was quick to put his two rupees in.

"Good luck with that. Half the guys in the school have the same idea. She's going to have more numbers by the end of the week than anyone else in the school." Mikau nodded in agreement.

"Definitely. I'm not even into Hylians, and I can see she's hot."

This entire time I was very careful to keep my expression blank and not look like I was listening raptly to every word. I glanced up and across the room to where Zelda was sitting surrounded by some of the popular girls, who had been quick to bring Zelda into their circle. I saw Ruto "casually" fixing her makeup, clearly trying to distract people from Zelda's natural beauty. I wasn't surprised. Ruto always had been an attention hog.

Just as I was looking at Zelda, she lifted her head and locked eyes with me. Slightly embarrassed, I raised my hand in a little wave. To my surprise, she flashed me that smile of hers that always gave me chills and waved back. Beside me, Cremia noticed my action and peered over me to see what I was doing.

"What'cha doin'?" she asked. I suddenly felt like I had gotten caught with my hand in the cookie jar and scrambled for an excuse.

"Just being friendly to the new girl. I don't want her to think she has to hang out with those girls if she doesn't have to." What I wouldn't give to have her come over here. Cremia gave me a sweet smile.

"Aww, that's so sweet of you, babe." I winced. I never had liked pet names, but I knew she was just doing it to poke fun at me. "You're always so nice to people. That's why I adore you so much," she said, laying her head on my shoulder. I smiled, but to me, it felt twisted. I hated lying, but I couldn't exactly tell Cremia the truth. Torn, I glanced across at Zelda again.

To my disgust, I saw the school jerk, Vatti, standing above and behind Zelda, his typical sneer on his face. Vatti and I were not what you might call friends. He had always been arrogant, and unfortunately, he had been gifted by the Goddesses with a small amount of magical prowess, which only served to fuel his already sizable ego. One day when I was ten, I had seen him threatening another boy, Mido, and had stepped in and told Vatti to bug off. From then on, Mido, who used to make fun of me for being short all the time, became the first member of my fan club and Vatti held a bitter grudge.

Now, seeing that creep sit down next to Zelda and put his arm around the clearly uncomfortable girl, spurred the same anger as he had inspired seven years ago. Shade seemed to notice my reaction and gave me a curious look before turning around to see what I was looking at.

"Ah shit," was all he said as I stood up and started walking over to Vatti and Zelda. Sparing a glance backwards to give Shade a look, I saw that the entire table was watching me with rapt attention. The Vatti/Link rivalry was well known throughout the school, and our face offs were practically legendary.

Luckily for me, Vatti didn't see me until I was standing right behind him.

"Hey there, Vatti," I said. He turned to look up at me with a dull expression on his face, looking across the arm that was still draped across Zelda's shoulders. The rest of the girls at the table moved away from the three of us slightly. They could probably hear my teeth grinding. "Why don't you leave the nice girl alone. Besides, she could do much better than you."

"Ahh, if it isn't Link the Hero," Vatti said as he finally moved his arm and stood up. My tendency to help those in need had earned me that nickname. "Come to show off how brave you are for the new girl?" he added with his trademark foul sneer. "Stupid is more like it." I tensed slightly, ready for the fight I knew was coming.

"Now who's trying to show off, Vatti? Trying to act like a big strong man? How many times do I have to beat you to get you to stop?"

"Beat me, eh? I think you'll be the one taking the beating this time!" With that, he threw his hand up as I had expected. He always opened our fights with the same move. I had already braced myself for the blast that came at me, so it only managed to push me back a step or two. I heard someone yell in outrage from behind me but didn't turn to see what it was. Instead, I jumped at Vatti, grabbing his outstretched arm and the stupid cloak he wore all the time, and used my momentum to throw him to the floor of the cafeteria. In a second, he was back on his feet and jumping at me. Off balance from the throw, he slammed into my chest and sent me sprawling, forcing the air from my lungs and smacking my head on the floor. I could see him above me winding up to get a good swing at me when a golden barrier appeared between us.

Hauling myself up, I saw Headmaster Rauru standing between us with a stern look on his face.

"At it again boys? Detention after school for the both of you, and for the rest of the week too. Next time, take your argument somewhere else, alright?" He didn't bother to wait for our responses. They were always the same anyway.

Vatti was quick to dust himself off and hide his rage behind his typical haughty sneer. I was still on the floor trying to clear my vision. Vatti raised an accusing finger at me.

"Next time, we do this where we won't get interrupted," he said, probably trying to look intimidating. Then, with a swish of that stupid cloak, he strode away. Sheik entered my field of vision, holding out his hand to help me up. Throwing him a grateful look, I took it.

"Once again, Link the Hero emerges victorious from his mighty and noble duel with the evil mage, Vatti," he said loudly, earning a few laughs and scattered clapping from around the lunch room. The popular girls, who had settled around their table again, cheered loudest of all. I would have taken a sarcastic bow, but I didn't think I could count on my head not splitting open if I did. I settled for a slightly embarrassed wave. I get thrown into the spotlight more often than most, but I still don't like the attention. As I started walking back to my table, I felt a small hand on my shoulder.

"Wait." I stiffened slightly as I recognized the voice but forced myself to stay calm as I slowly turned around.

"Thank you for standing up to that boy," Zelda Harkinian said as she smiled up at me. I almost fell over again. She was even more beautiful up close. "No one else was going to do anything about him," she finished with a sad tone in her voice.

"Don't worry about it," I said, slightly surprised at how easily I responded. This girl had taken up most of my thoughts for the past week, and I fully expected to be a nervous wreck when I actually talked to her. "Vatti is just a jerk that thinks he can get away with whatever he wants. The only difference between me and everyone else is that they let him do what he wants. I don't." I suddenly realized how concieted I sounded, but before I could apologize, Zelda gave a little laugh.

"I guess that's true. No wonder they call you 'Link the Hero,' she giggled. A slight blush quickly rose to my face.

"Yeah, I guess so..." I trailed off, itching the back of my neck absently. Why do guys always do that? Just then, the bell rang, signifying the end of lunch. I let out a small sigh of relief. "I guess I should get to class." Zelda nodded.

"Me too. I'll see you in a bit though." I was drawing a blank until I remembered that we had Science together later. I quickly tried to cover my lapse in attention.

"Right, right, I'll see you later then," I sputtered. I thought I saw Zelda's smile stretch a little more at my blundering. For once, I was happy to have a girl other than Cremia like me. I promptly shook myself out of those thoughts. _Can't be thinking like that, Link. You're already taken._

"Great, bye then, Link," Zelda said as she turned away. Naturally, my mind locked onto the fact that she had said my name, but I managed to push out a response.

"Bye, Zelda." I loved her name. So sweet, but dignified too.

Din, I needed to get over myself.

And then Sheik slammed into me again, pulling me away from thoughts of Zelda.

"Feeling better now, mate?" he asked innocently enough, but his eyes said that he meant something else entirely. I shoved him away.

Cremia suddenly pulled me into a fierce hug, squeezing me like she wanted to kill me.

"Link, are you okay?! You hit your head so hard, and it sounded awful! I was so worried! Vatti is such an ass! Next time I see him, I'll..."

"Cremia, don't worry about it," I was quick to interrupt her rant. "I'm fine. Besides, we have to get to class." Cremia huffed.

"Fine, but I get to freak out about this later."

"Deal."

* * *

I found myself eagerly awaiting Science class later in the day. I didn't even linger on how amazing Cremia looked during gym, which was usually my favorite part of the class. Of course, instead, my mind was on Zelda. I had a problem.

And I really had to do something about it.

Fortunately (was it though?), Science came quickly, and soon I was sitting in class waiting for Zelda to come in. My leg was bouncing with nervousness and anticipation. _Calm down, Link. You've dealt with Zelda for a week. Get over yourself. She's just a girl. She probably doesn't even like you. Chill out._ I kept up my mental tirade until someone dropped into the seat next to mine. _So much for that_ , I thought as my mind refocused on Zelda, who was asking me something.

Zelda and I chatted for a few minutes while we waited for class to start. She seemed a bit shy, but she seemed confident in herself and was surprisingly open about a lot of things with me. I guess fighting Vatti had some perks after all.

Soon enough, Barnes Boms, who insisted we call him by his first name, came in and introduced the subject of the day.

"Afternoon, class," he muttered. I always had a suspicion he didn't like teaching that much, as he was usually quite moody and had little patience. And if he ever caught you playing around with any of his equipment, Goddesses help you. "Before we start on chemical reactions today, you all should know that I'm assigning you a presentation for the end of the semester. It will serve as a good chunk of your final grade, so I suggest you get started on it now. It's a partnered presentation, in hopes of raising the quality of work from the mess that it was last year." I suppressed a chuckle. The previous senior class hadn't been particularly brainy, and the results would go down in school history. A frog had caught fire, one girl spilled acid on her shirt, and a boy had managed to make the room smell of burnt wood stain for a week. I couldn't blame Barnes.

"Also, in an effort to get you all to actually do the assignment, I'm going to let you pick your partner. You've got five minutes to figure it out," he finished, propping his feet up on his desk and leaning back. Naturally, the room immediately descended into chaos.

I turned to Sheik to see if he wanted to pair up with me, but he had already thrown himself at Midna, who seemed fairly amused at his attempts to be cool. I took a cursory glance behind me, partially to keep an eye on Vatti, but he had already paired off with a girl named Lavina. One glance below her neck told me why. I was trying to come up with a partner for myself when there was a light tap on my shoulder.

"Um, Link?" I turned back around to see Zelda playing with her fingers. "Would you...want to be my partner? I don't really know anyone else yet." Dang, was she always that cute when she was embarrassed?

"Sure thing, Zelda," I said before I had a chance to think about it. I almost started to berate myself over my clearly stupid split-second decision, but the smile that lit up Zelda's face made me reconsider. Something that made someone that happy couldn't be bad, right?

"Alright, alright, everyone calm down. Back to your seats." Barnes was trying to regain some semblance of order. Eventually everyone listened and sat back down. "Against my common sense, I'm going to leave it to you to decide what your demonstration will be about. The only rule is that you have to tie it to something that we've learned in this class and it does have to have a considerable amount of effort put into it. Which means no baking soda volcanoes allowed. Impress me. Now moving on to what we're actually learning about, chemical reactions take place when two substances interact..."

* * *

 _Just to clarify, the Zoras are actually Zoras, with fins and all, but a bit less exaggerated than in the games. Think Ocarina of Time with smaller heads and wearing clothes. Still blue, but it's blue enough that they mostly just look pale._

 _Kersplunk, thanks for being the first to review. Unfortunately, I've already written a good bit of the story, all told from Link's point of view. Maybe there'll be a few Zelda chapters later, but for now they aren't planned. Plus, I don't know how the hell girls think. Glad you're enjoying it though._

 _Just so anyone reading this knows, its a bit of a slow burn at the beginning. There is some foreshadowing, but even that takes time. All the same, I hope you're enjoying so far._

 _Last thing, I'll be posting a few chapters this first week or so just to get more of the story out there, before reducing the frequency of chapters to maybe one or two a week. Depends on how much I have ready to post. Also, rating will likely be changing to M later for language and violence reasons. Just an FYI._

 _Feel free to let me know what you think!_

 _-Aro_


	3. Chapter 3

Fortunately, Science was the last class of the day, so I could go home and freak out about everything privately. Which is exactly what I did. Thank the Goddesses Shade and I had separate rooms.

"Why? Why did I do that? I could have just said no. Ahh, but then I would have felt guilty. Plus, she asked me...What am I supposed to do?"

"About what?"

I bolted up from where I was face down on my bed, spinning into a defensive stance. Why? No idea.

Shade was standing in the doorway, trying to look casual, but I could tell he was curious. "What have you screwed up now?" My eyes narrowed.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," I threw back, tossing myself back into my pillow. I heard Shade walk into my room and sit on my desk chair.

"Well, the way I see it, I have two options here. I can either let you sulk it out and have you generally miserable for the next week, or push you until you tell me about it. Plus, I'm curious, so spill. Or do you want me to put you in a headlock first?"

"Hah, you could try," I said, not caring that my voice was muffled by the pillow. I heard a low, rather sinister chuckle.

"Is that an invitation?" Joints popped next to me. I threw myself as far away from Shade as I could get on my small bed.

"No, it's not, you maniac! Get away from me!" Damn brothers.

"Like I said, tell me now or tell me in a headlock," Shade said, with a rather sinister smile in place. I sighed. I wasn't getting away from this one.

"Fine, fine, just...lay off me a sec." Placated, Shade sat back in the chair, perfectly attentive. I sighed and started haltedly.

"So... it's about the new girl at school...Zelda..."

"You like her, don't you?" I looked up to see Shade with a worried expression on his face, leaning forward again.

"Yeah, let's go with that."

"Oh, man, it's worse than that, isn't it? You full on have a crush on her?" I just shook my head. Sheik tried again "Even worse?" At this, I nodded. "Well, shit." I fell back onto my bed.

"Basically."

"What are you going to do? Cremia's going to be pissed as hell if she finds out you're basically in love with a girl you've sort of known for two weeks." Shade almost seemed to be enjoying my pain. Bastard.

"Dude, I have no idea. And to make things worse, I've got to do a project with her for science class now. So there's basically no escape," I sighed. This was the end. I was doomed. I couldn't tell what was worse, losing Zelda or having Cremia explode on me. Sounds absurd? Yeah, well, such is my life.

"Maybe not," Shade muttered. I gave a short, humorless laugh.

"Abandoning your pessimistic view, Shade? And how can this not be the worst thing to ever happen to me?" I asked, turning to look at Shade with a skeptical look.

"You're doing a project with her, right?" I nodded. Shade's smirk popped back into place. "Well, there you go. You get to know her, work together for a while, and you'll get landed solidly in the friend zone."

"And how is that supposed to help me get over my...problem?" I asked, wincing.

"You'll just have to get over her." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Dude, have you seen her? How do you suppose I get over possibly the most beautiful girl I've ever seen?"

"Well..." I turned to look at Shade, who was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "You could always take Cremia out to a nice dinner, and then come back here and..." This got me laughing for real.

"Yeah, as if. You know I'd never pull that off."

"I mean, it's not that hard. You just have to..." Shade was making various hand gestures at this point, and I couldn't help but laugh harder.

"Thanks Shade, but I'm perfectly aware of how it works."

"Besides, I know you're too 'noble' to have sex with Cremia. Your loss, but whatever."

"Well excuse me for having the moral high ground here," I snorted. Shade hadn't, at least to my knowledge, gotten any action either, but I was pretty sure that if the opportunity presented itself, he wouldn't restrain himself like I would. "Any options that don't involve compromising my morals?" Shade rolled his eyes.

"Probably, but that one's easiest. And the most fun," he finished with a wink. Hopping up, he strolled out the door and down the hall. "Good luck with that, man!"

"You're always so helpful, Shade," I yelled after him. I heard him laugh before shutting his bedroom door.

 _Fantastic,_ I thought. _I'm still totally screwed_. Just as I was starting to drowse, my phone buzzed in my pocket. Pulling it out, I saw it was a message from a random number. Curious, I checked it and promptly jumped back to fully awake.

" _Hey Link! It's Zelda. I got your number from your girlfriend since I never asked you for it. I just wanted to ask you to think up some ideas for our project so we can get started on it right away. I don't like to put things off. If you could come up with a few ideas for us to talk about tomorrow, that'd be great. See you tomorrow!"_ I quickly shot back a response.

" _Will do, Zelda. Thanks for letting me know."_ Great. Now I not only had a bunch of homework to do, but I had to think of science project ideas without thinking of the person I had to do it with. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Somehow, Friday came, and I had managed to avoid both heart failure and evisceration by Zelda and Cremia. Of course, that doesn't mean I wasn't basically a nervous wreck all week, but you can't win them all. At this point, I thought I could handle whatever joke the Goddesses were playing on me, but, of course, I was proven very wrong.

It was during lunch, naturally. I was having my nice lunch, stealing Sheik's food, Cremia leaning on my arm, not a care in the world, until the worst possible thing happened. Zelda sat down. I almost fell off my seat.

"Hi Zelda," I heard Cremia say as I righted myself.

"Hello, Cremia. How are you?" she said with a gentle smile. She seemed more comfortable today than I had seen her in the two weeks she had been at our school. "Hi Link."

Of course, I had just taken a massive bite of Sheik's sandwich, so I did my best to give her a smile without losing any of 'my' food. Quickly swallowing, I greeted her as I fended off an outraged Skeik, who was quickly losing the rest of his sandwich to Shade. The girls laughed and carried on with their conversation. I didn't bother to listen in. I learned a long time ago that I didn't really want to hear conversations between girls. Instead, I stole Sheik's milk.

"Hey Link, are you free tomorrow?" Zelda said from my left.

"Probably. Why?" I asked, blocking the punch from Sheik that I could tell was about to hit me in the arm.

Zelda's eyes widened. "How did you know that was coming?" she asked, apparently impressed by my block. I shrugged.

"Uh…I've been dealing with him half my life. I'd be more surprised if I didn't know the punch was coming," I offered, slamming down on Sheik's hand trying to take my fries. Truth was, I wasn't exactly sure how I knew what Sheik was doing. I guess I was just that good. Zelda laughed.

"I suppose so. Anyway, want to meet up and work on our project? We only have a few weeks to do it before finals." Cremia seemed intrigued.

"You two are doing a project together? For what class?" she asked. I started fumbling for an answer, but Zelda beat me to it.

"It's for Science. We're supposed to do a partnered project, but I didn't know anyone in the class but Link, so I asked him." I couldn't help but feel relieved that I didn't have to explain the situation. Does that make me a wuss? Probably. Do I care? No. Fortunately, Cremia took it well.

"And of course he said he would. He can't turn anyone down. Isn't that right, babe?" she said, gripping my arm. I only gave her the satisfaction of an eye roll. She knew she had me pegged. "What are you going to do it on?"

"We're not sure yet, but I was thinking we could do it on the recent environmental instability. Maybe talk about what's going on with the earthquakes and storms and what could be causing it. Did you have any ideas, Link?" I finished off Sheik's milk before answering.

"Baking soda volcano." The girls laughed.

"That's my man," Cremia said, doing her share of eye rolling. "Always with the best ideas."

"Hey, this kind of genius doesn't come easily." Glancing at the clock, I saw that the bell was about to ring. "Anyway, when did you want to meet, Zelda? This weekend should be fine."

"Does early tomorrow afternoon work? Maybe around 12:30?" I gave it a moment's thought.

"Yeah, that's fine. Where do you want to meet? I'd offer my place, but between Sheik, Shade, and my uncle, I doubt we'd get much done." Shade leaned across the table to butt into the conversation.

"We can always go out and do something if you want the house to yourself, Link," he taunted, wiggling his eyebrows. I reached over and flicked him in the face, which only made his smartass grin widen. Zelda just cocked her head as the bell rang.

"That's fine, you can come over to my place. I'll text you the address."

"Well, that sounds like fun," Cremia said. "Sure you're not forgetting anything Link?" _Oh shit._ I looked over and caught a look in her eye that said I was definitely forgetting something. _Shit shit shit shit. Kick Shade? No. Glare at Vatti? Nope. Ignore Zelda? Can't do that. Stop trying to steal my fries, Sheik. Wait, Sheik, interrupting, party, PARTY!_

"Your birthday party is Saturday. In the evening," I said, relieved.

"What time in the evening?" _Crap._

"Six…?" Cremia smiled cutely. Nice to know that my distress is endearing.

"Six thirty, close enough. Aren't you a good boy for remembering. Zelda, you're invited too, so feel free to come by whenever." I heard Zelda giggle and glanced over, raising an eyebrow.

"You two are great together," she remarked, causing Cremia to smile brightly and me to look down, embarrassed. Just then, the bell rang, once again saving me from certain doom.

"Well, time to go," I said, getting up from the table. Thank the goddesses that neither Zelda nor Cremia were in my last class of the day. "I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Bye Link. I'll text you my address."

"Goodbye honey! You'd better have a good gift for me!" I turned and threw one last smile at her.

"You'll see!"

"You do already have a present for her, right?" Sheik asked as soon as we were out of earshot of the girls. "Or is it going to be like Christmas all over again?" Shade chuckled darkly.

"Please say you forgot again. I didn't record you last time." I glared at them both.

"I've already got her present, moblin-brains. I'm not making that mistake again."

"Awww…"

* * *

After I got home, I pulled out Cremia's present just to make sure it looked okay and hadn't gotten magically ruined. Sighing with relief, I flopped down on my bed. _She's going to like this, right? Of course she will, it's from me. She'll say she likes it even if she hates it._ _Not sure if that's good, but I guess it's better than the alternative._ My phone buzzed over on my desk. _Suppose I should get that. It's probably just Shade begging me to bring him food though._ I hauled myself off the bed. _Lazy ass._

Grabbing the phone and launching myself back to the bed, I saw it was indeed a text. From Zelda. _Good thing I grabbed it,_ I thought, trying very hard to ignore my accelerated heartbeat. Opening the text, I could almost hear Zelda saying it.

 _"Link, my address is 231 Lanayru Lane. Since Cremia's party is later, you can stop by earlier if you want. That way we can get more done."_ _Well,_ I thought, _that's pretty considerate. Actually, I probably should have thought of that. Gah, whatever._ Jumping out of my thoughts, I texted back a quick reply.

 _"Good idea. Is around 10 okay?"_

 _"Sure."_

 _"Alright, sounds good."_ I was about to end the conversation when I thought of something. _"Is your house right by a park with a big fountain?"_

 _"Yeah, how'd you know? Or is knowing every inch of this town one of your abilities too? ;P"_ I couldn't help but smile.

 _"Hah, not quite. You live a few blocks away from me. Sheik, Shade, and I would always play in that fountain."_

 _"Really?! That's really weird! I guess you could just walk over if you wanted."_

 _"Maybe I will. ;)"_ I put my phone down for a second, thinking about what I was going to do next. Food maybe? Grabbing hold of that idea, I opened my phone again.

 _"So, speaking of nothing, you don't have any allergies or extreme dislikes of any food, do you?"_ Zelda only took a minute to respond.

 _"Not really. Why?"_ Now I was smiling in earnest.

 _"You'll see…"_

 _"Dang it Link, I hate not knowing things. This is going to drive me crazy."_ I took some strange pleasure from her apparent distress. And come to think of it, that's kind of messed up.

 _"Well, the answer is only 17 hours away."_

 _"Fine, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then. Have a good night!"_

 _"You too."_ I finally turned my phone off and let my arm fall back onto the bed. _That went…surprisingly well,_ I thought. _Maybe Shade is right and I can get over her._ Wishful thinking, I know. Looking up, I saw that it was only 5 in the evening, and I realized that what I said to Zelda was incredibly ironic. The next 17 hours were going to be torturous for me too.

* * *

 _Chapter 3, in which there is light foreshadowing and nothing actually happens. Hehehehhe. Sorry to everyone who was hoping to see Shade and Link at each other's throats, but for now they're what I imagine twins to be like: pretty damn near best friends._

 _Thanks James Birdsong and xmana033 for reviewing last chapter, I do really appreciate it. Also, xmana033, I'm totally taking that idea, thanks. Which one? Read on to find out! *echoing* Hope everyone reading is enjoying. Remember, tell me what you think!_

 _Last thing, did you guys know you can get emails any time I post a new chapter? Just follow the story and make sure your account settings are set properly. That way, you never have to think, "Huh, I wonder if that Aro dude posted anything new? I bet he's really good looking. I just love his story and Link is so funny and I can't wait to see what happens on Link's not a date." Just imagine never having to wonder. It'd probably be pretty nice._

 _That's enough for me, time to go to work. Cheers!_

 _-Aro_


	4. Chapter 4

Despite it being the weekend, I still got up early the next morning for a workout, albeit regretfully. I enjoyed mornings, but I preferred sleep above all. Changing into a pair of shorts and a loose tank, I trotted out into the morning dew, habitually kicking Shade's door on the way. He was a night person, and usually didn't go to bed until 2 in the morning at the earliest, so he hated that I'd always bang on his door in what he called "the goddess-less hours of the morning." Which apparently includes 6:30 a.m. on a weekend.

After some stretches and basic exercises on the front sidewalk, I set off at a fast jog. I usually did about 6 miles around the neighborhood in the morning, which wound around enough that I didn't get bored of running down the same few streets.

Near the end of my run, I ended up taking a quick break at the park on Lanayru Lane. As I splashed some of the cool, clear water from the running fountain on my face, I looked at the houses along the street, trying to find number 231. You know, so I wouldn't be wandering around like an idiot later. I found it quickly, as it was positioned almost directly across the street.

As I watched, I saw the light come on in a room upstairs. Someone pushed aside the curtains and I saw a flash of platinum. Somehow, I knew it was Zelda and glanced down at my watch. Just after 7. She must be an early riser.

Feeling a sudden urge to show off, I pushed myself away from the fountain and started sprinting towards home. It was about a half mile run and I sometimes decided to sprint it to see how fast I could do it. As I passed Zelda's house, I turned my head towards the window with the light on. Sure enough, there was Zelda with a surprised look on her face. I gave her a short wave before pushing my speed even more and racing off towards home.

As I slowed to a stop in front of my house, I checked my watch again out of habit. _2 minutes and 9 seconds. That's got to be a record! And I'm not even that tired!_ I put it down to excitement, though I wasn't sure if it was because of Cremia's party tonight or my study…not a date…appointment I guess?... with Zelda later. Or maybe it was just a nice day, but that was the least likely of the three.

I walked into the kitchen to find Hunter already there eating an English muffin. He looked up from his newspaper as I filled a glass of water for myself and pulled out the eggs, meat, peppers, and milk.

"How's the air this morning? Think it'll rain for Cremia's party tonight?" Hunter asked. I'd always had an excellent sense of the weather and could often predict rain coming hours away. Just another one of my weird quirks. I managed to gulp down my water before answering.

"Nope, should be a clear night. Anything interesting in the paper?" I tossed my eggs, meat, and pepper bits in a pan to cook.

"More speculation on the environmental anomalies, otherwise not much. Some slight incident at the castle, but nothing major," Hunter said as he folded the paper up and tossed it on the table. Finishing his English muffin, he stood up and grabbed his keys. "I have to run into the office, follow up on some business about the new park by the river. The city doesn't want to break ground if the soil is unstable." Hunter was a construction contractor for the city and was having trouble with his jobs from all the minor earthquakes in the area. I finished cooking my egg mix, tossed them on a plate, and sat down at table with my milk. Grabbing the paper, I saw that there was indeed a piece on the environment. Remembering Zelda's suggestion for our project, I waved the paper in Hunter's direction.

"Mind if I take this? It might help with a school project." Hunter glanced over his shoulder and shrugged.

"Go ahead, I'm done with it and Nayru knows Sheik and Shade don't care. I'm off, have fun at the party tonight and don't do anything stupid." I waved until I heard the front door close and Hunter's car drive away. Finishing my eggs off, I washed my dishes and the pan I used. I tended to clean up the entirety of the mess I made while cooking, since Shade would get ridiculously mad if I left a mess in "his" kitchen. While my cooking skills largely consisted of tossing whatever I could find together, applying heat, and hoping it worked out, Shade was an actual cook, often taking care of dinner when Hunter had to pull a late night. I knew he was making a cake for Cremia this afternoon, so I made sure everything was back to its original state before heading upstairs for a shower.

* * *

After my shower, I still had about two hours until I had to leave to get to Zelda's. What did I do with this time, you ask? Homework. Thrilling, I know.

At about ten to ten, I poked my head into Shade's room, the occupant of which was just rolling out of bed.

"Shade, I'm heading out. I'll be home later to go over to Cremia's tonight," I half-whispered. I heard some sort of grunt that resembled acknowledgement, so I left him to his morning. I found Sheik out in the backyard practicing the kicks, punches, and flips of his Sheikah martial arts that I can never remember the name of. Seeing me grab my keys, he gave me a mock bow before springing out of sight. Business as usual.

Remembering Zelda's words from last night, I swung my bag over my shoulder and started walking towards Lanayru Lane. It really was shaping up to be a nice day. One of the houses I walked past had a massive garden that was starting to show some early blossoms. As I walked past though, I slowed to a stop. _Something's off here…why is it so quiet?_ There was hardly a sound in the air, not even a breeze. No birds in the numerous trees, no insects in the garden, even the usually vocal dogs in the neighborhood had fallen silent. _Not weird at all, probably nothing, should just keep going._ And that's what I did. At a slightly faster pace.

My discomfort passed quickly though, and was replaced by nerves. _Nothing to worry about Link. It's just a project, nothing else. We'll just work, no problem, easy. Holy Goddesses, I'm screwed._ Suddenly, I was at Zelda's front door. _No, I'm fine. Deep breath and knock. She's just a friend. Nothing else, so push that down._ Suddenly, the door opened, interrupting my thoughts. There stood Zelda in skinny jeans and a black blouse. Taking a deep breath, I quieted my tumultuous mind and made myself calm down.

"Hey." Smooth. Keep it up.

"Good morning Link! Come in. I've got my stuff set up in the dining room," Zelda said as she stepped to the side. As casually as possible, I stepped into the house, barely noting the rather ornate construction of the house. There were numerous expensive looking vases and paintings decorating the walls and tables. But my attention was almost solely fixed on the pretty girl shutting the door behind me. With little to do but prevent myself from freaking out, as I followed Zelda into the house, I picked up my inner monologue again. _There's no reason to be nervous. You're here to work. So chill the hell out. Yes, she's amazingly beautiful, but that doesn't matter. Stop. Now._ And, with one last breath, I did.

* * *

Zelda and I spend the next three hours working on our project. Thanks to a grand lack of ideas from me, we solidified our plan to use Zelda's idea of investigating the environmental disturbances. Then at about 12:30, I put my master plan into action. I was writing out notes on my newspaper article when the doorbell rang. Zelda looked up from the web article she was reading with a confused look.

"Who could that be? I didn't invite anyone else over today." She moved to get up, but I had already gotten up and rushed towards the front door. "Link?" I heard from behind me. I returned to the dining room moments later with two medium pizzas in my arms. A hint of surprise was added to Zelda's still confused face. With a bit of a cocky grin, I plopped the pizzas down on a clear spot on the table.

"No opposition to sausage or Hawaiian pizza I hope?" Zelda's face split into a wide smile that I was surprised didn't floor me.

"Not at all! I take it that this was your grand surprise then?" I opened one of the boxes up and took a long smell before answering.

"Yep! Would you grab a few plates and napkins for this?" Zelda gave a quick nod before moving into the kitchen, which was separated from the dining room by a length of countertop. While she did that, I opened the boxes fully and removed the included containers of garlic sauce. Zelda came back with plates and napkins, pausing for a moment between the two areas before quickly pushing the dishes into my arms and practically lunging towards the sauce.

"They have garlic sauce with this?! This is officially the best pizza ever." She tore open the foil cover, grabbed a slice of sausage pizza and proceeded to drown the poor thing in sauce. Grabbing my own pizza, I watched with an amused smile on my face as the girl sank her teeth into the now mostly garlic sauced pizza with obvious relish and chewed slowly.

"I take it you're a fan of the garlic sauce then," I remarked as Zelda licked the remainder of the liquid off her fingers, which seemed to startle her slightly.

"It's my favorite actually," she shot out quickly before grabbing another piece, keeping her eyes averted from mine. She must have been embarrassed by her lack of restraint, as she showed much more while water-boarding her second slice.

"You can have it then. I don't really like it." Zelda's manic chewing stopped suddenly, drawing my attention to the girl who was now staring at me like I was the crazy one. Her look of shock turned to one of pity as she moved her hand to rest on my arm. I prepared myself for the shock that was bound to come with the contact, but it never came.

Zelda just looked me dead in the eye and slowly said, "I'm so sorry," in a tone that had me believing in her sincerity. I blinked twice before she snatched her hand away and grabbed the second container of sauce. As I watched Zelda consume the sauce with gusto, I felt oddly relieved

 _She's just a friend now, isn't she? Not some high being to worship. Just a girl. One with an unhealthy obsession with garlic sauce, but still just a girl._

From there, my day went startlingly better. Zelda and I got most of our presentation outlined, with only a few things left to adjust. We decided to present our report as soon as possible, which happened to be the following Wednesday, in order to get it done with and free up time for the rest of our finals. We worked easily with each other, and before I knew it, 4 o'clock had come around.

I finished typing out one of our last paragraphs before scooting my chair back and stretching with a light groan. Seeing the time, I sighed and stood up.

"I should probably get going," I said, seeing Zelda glance over at me. "I need to head home before going to Cremia's party. When are you going over?" Zelda gave it a moment of thought.

"I don't know. I hadn't figured it out just yet. When are you?"

"Probably in an hour or so. I have to head home, get changed, and do a few other things, and then I'll go over. There's probably some setting up to help with."

"Want me to come help too? I'm not doing anything else today, so I'd just be waiting anyways."

 _That's really thoughtful of her._ I was impressed with her generosity, but again didn't feel any surge of affection for her. _Maybe I really am over her._

"If you want to, I doubt Cremia will turn down extra help," I said. "You have her address, right?" Zelda gave a quick nod. "Okay then, I guess I'll see you over there soon." With a smile and a wave, I turned and opened the door.

"See you soon, Link," I heard from behind me.

"See ya, Zelda."

* * *

 _Tada, Chapter 4._

 _Not really sure what to say here, just story stuff. Shout out to everyone who is manic about garlic sauce on their pizza, I just don't get it. Pineapple though, is a must._

 _Thanks to Hypnotoad and Just-AWESOME-old-me for reviewing. Awesome, I know what you mean about the second-hand embarrassment. If I feel one of those moments coming in a story or movie, it's just horrible. Cringe all the way._

 _Thank you to everyone reading the story so far. Writers have a cool traffic graph that I love to check, and seeing high numbers makes my day. Not as much as reviews though, so think on that._

 _Anyway, glad you're all enjoying. I'm going to start slowing down my update speed a bit. You'll probably get another chapter Thursday or Friday, just so I have enough time to keep my number of written chapters ahead of the published ones._

 _Cremia's party next chapter. So many possibilities, so much potential drama. Will it be there? Does Cremia get dumped? Will Sheik implode? Who knows!? (I do...'cause I wrote it...yeah...whatever)_

 _Cheers, guys._

 _-Aro_


	5. Chapter 5

After going home, changing into a pair of dark jeans and a red shirt, grabbing my gift for Cremia and collecting Shade, Sheik, and the cake, we all headed to Cremia's house, which was about a 10-minute drive.

Cremia lived on the edge of town, which was a suburb to Hyrule City, the largest metropolis in Greater Hyrule, and one of the biggest cities in the world. She lived on her family's ancestral ranch, Lon Lon Ranch. According to her family, the ranch has existed since the days of the legendary Princess of Destiny and the attempted rebellion of the Gerudo. Maybe it's true, maybe not, but either way, Lon Lon Ranch was one of the best ranches in the province, famous for their special mixture of milk.

As the car rolled up the long driveway to the large ranch house, I could see balloons tied to trees and fence posts along the long stretch of fence encircling the ranch. All red of course, Cremia's favorite color. Parking, the three of us started walking towards the door when it was suddenly pushed open and a young copy of Cremia rushed out, jumped down the porch steps, and plowed into Sheik, tackling the young man to the ground. Shade and I kept walking, unfazed by the assault, laughing as we heard Sheik yell for Romani, the little girl, to get off him. Cremia appeared in the door way, and her face lit up when she saw us. She performed much the same maneuver as her younger sister, except plowing into me instead. Fortunately for me, Cremia, and her present, I managed to stay upright.

"Link, thank goodness you're here. There's so much to do to get ready!" Cremia exclaimed as she pulled away from me. "Come inside and help me with the food." Like a good boyfriend, I followed her inside, where Shade was waiting with the covered cake.

"Where do you want this?" he asked when he saw the birthday girl.

"In there, on the dining room table," Cremia said as she gestured towards the large dining room before walking into the kitchen. I followed her to see that there really wasn't all the much left to get ready. Just a few snacks to put out and taco meat to put in a big bowl. Noting the absence of Mr. and Mrs. Lon Lon, I asked Cremia about where they were.

"Dad is out back unhooking the milking machine and Mom is upstairs. They're going out tonight, so we'll have the house to ourselves. Well, as much as we can with a ton of people here," she said with a laugh. I stirred the meat in its massive pot, laughing with her. Shade came in and took over most of the food preparation, so Cremia and I went to make sure everything was in its proper place.

At some point, I heard heavy footsteps going up the large staircase, which I assumed to be Mr. Lon Lon. A few minutes later, two pairs descended, one significantly heavier than the other. A voice called Cremia's name, pulling her out into the entrance hall. I put the dish I was holding down on the table and followed her out to see her hugging her father.

"Hello Link. Here early to help out?" a sweet voice said from my left. I turned to see Mrs. Lon Lon pulling a light jacket on.

"Hello Malon," I responded. Cremia's parents insisted I call them by their first names. They were pretty laid back and generally cool like that. "Yeah, I figured you could use some help over here, but it looks like everything is pretty well set up." A large hand clapped me on the shoulder, one that could only belong to Falon, Cremia's father.

"Now don't get too rowdy here tonight. And if you do, make sure it's nothing you'll regret in the morning." Then, in a lower voice, but not quite low enough, and with a not so subtle wink, he added, "Or in nine months." With a booming laugh, he hit me on the shoulder again before extending his arm towards his smiling wife. "We're getting a hotel room tonight, so don't worry about having people leave. Party as long as you kids want." With one last "Have fun," they left, closing the door behind them. Looking towards Cremia, who also seemed rather embarrassed, I quickly broke the silence.

"Anything else need doing before the party? We only have about an hour before people start showing up." Cremia shook her head.

"I just have to get dressed, but you're not allowed to help with that."

"Aww, why not?" I said with mock disappointment. Cremia slapped me upside the head. Falon's words were still fresh in our minds anyway, effectively killing any chance of shenanigans.

As we stood there, the door opened again, revealing a striking platinum blonde.

"Zelda!" Cremia exclaimed, throwing herself at the girl, gripping her in a massive hug. Just as quickly, she dropped her hand to Zelda's and hauled the poor girl up the stairs, presumably to get changed for the party. I just looked on in bemusement as the two disappeared into the second floor of the house.

 _I guess that leaves the rest of the preparation to me and Shade,_ I thought with a small laugh.

* * *

It turned out there wasn't much left to do for the party. Shade finished off the meat and we got the fixings for the tacos set out on the table and that was pretty much all there was to do. Fortunately, we didn't have to wait long before people started to show up. First to show up were the girls that hung out with Cremia constantly. They went directly upstairs with a quick hello to us, leaving their boyfriends to chill with us. I recognized Kafei, as he and Anju, his girlfriend and close friend to Cremia, would often sit at the same table as me and Cremia. I recognized a few others too, but none that I knew very well. Mikau, with his usual punctuality, showed up at 6:30 on the dot with his girl, Lulu. Glad to see someone I knew better than acquaintances, I started a conversation with them as more and more people started showing up. Eventually, someone found the food and drinks and the party started for real.

I was in the middle of talking to one of the juniors, when his sentence died as his mouth dropped. I turned around and had pretty much the same reaction. Only my reaction only happened mentally. I hope.

Zelda was walking towards me and she was indeed stunning. I hadn't seen her earlier, since she was pulled upstairs by my girlfriend immediately. But now I had plenty of time to look as she slowly moved towards me, greeting people as she went.

Zelda was wearing what looked like a tight, long sleeved white shirt, with a collar that went up to her neck. Over that, she had a sort of half-blouse that essentially covered only her breasts, ending just below them and would have left a considerable amount of skin and cleavage showing if it hadn't been for the white shirt beneath it. It also had long billowing sleeves from her shoulders to her wrists and gold ornamentation around the edges of the collar and sleeve cuffs. The bottom had a thicker gold band with a small medallion in the center decaling a triangle inside a triangle. That, coupled with her tight brown pants, boots, flowing hair, and minimal makeup, I couldn't help but wonder if my initial assessment of her as a goddess come to earth wasn't wrong. The junior behind me certain seemed to think so. He looked like he was either about to bow down in worship or faint.

Zelda finally reached me and gave me a smile. Somewhere behind me, I heard frantic scampering, presumable the junior desperately trying to get away from the young woman in front of me.

"Hey," I said, with no waver in my voice. Last week, I would have likely had the same reaction as the retreating junior, but I instead found myself appreciative of Zelda's beauty, but not overly transfixed by it. "Did you just finish upstairs with Cremia? It's been over 45 minutes."

"Really? It didn't feel like that long," she responded with a thoughtful look. "Anyways, it's worth it. She looks great. She's worried about what you'll think, so be nice." I put an offended look on my face.

"Do you really think I know nothing about having a girlfriend? Rule one: Always complement a girl on her looks," I said with an air of bravado and a snooty accent. "Which, by the way, applies to you too. You look fantastic. I think that boy I was talking to though so too."

Zelda giggled. "Thanks Link. I saw his face for a second, and I think you're probably right." _Hold on, is she blushing?_ "Anyway, Cremia should be down in a few minutes. I think she and her girlfriends wanted a bit of heart to heart time. Is there any food left?"

"Yeah, there should be. It's just in here. No garlic sauce this time though." Zelda just laughed.

We both grabbed some tacos and snacks and looked at Shade's cake. It was a hardcore chocolate cake, with some of that chocolate sauce between the layers. At least, that's what Shade said. How he did it, I have no idea. The whole thing was covered in frosting that shifted between red and orange, with "CREMIA" written across it in dark red. In front of it was a rather large sign, ensuring no one missed it. It read, "BACK THE FUCK OFF." Shade hated people messing with his cakes.

"And you said Shade made this?" Zelda remarked, clearly impressed.

"Yep," I said before taking a massive bite of my overfilled taco.

"I never would have guessed. He definitely doesn't seem the type to cook. Is that what he wants to go into after school?"

"Yeah, he's looking at a couple culinary schools. He's even thinking of entering 'Hyrule's Top Chef' to get some money for tuition."

"Oh, I love that show. It'd be amazing to see him on it," Zelda exclaimed, turning away from the cake and towards me. "What are you going to do after school?" I had grown to hate this question.

"I don't know yet. There's nothing I'm really interested in enough to want to do it for the rest of my life yet. I guess I feel like I'm still waiting for something, if you know what I mean." Zelda looked lost in thought for a minute.

"Like you're waiting for destiny to come calling?" she said quietly. I was startled.

"Yeah, exactly."

"I know how you feel." Before I could ask her what she meant, her eyes alighted on something behind me. I turned around and had my breath utterly stolen.

Cremia was walking towards me with a bright smile on her face, wearing a sleeveless dress with a dropping v neckline, showing off plenty of cleavage from her already amble breasts. The dress was cinched around her waist and flared back out to show the outline of her hips before ending at about her midthigh. It was simple, but beautiful. Her red hair had been teased into curls and flowed down both sides of her shoulders, ending about mid-chest. Small dangling gold earrings and gold bracelets, along with black flats completed her outfit. Her makeup emphasized her eyes, making the green orbs look bigger than normal. Her lips shimmered and I was delighted to see that she had foregone a necklace. _Perfect._

"Hi, Link." I blinked quickly, shaking myself out of my girlfriend-induced stupor. I quickly said the first thing that came to mind.

"You're gorgeous." Cremia and the girls that I only now noticed behind her giggled, along with Zelda at my side. Cremia beamed more brightly at me, clearly delighted with my answer.

"Glad I garnered your approval then."

"Definitely," I said, still awestruck with the girl before me and the realization that she was mine. Clearly, I was the luckiest guy at the party. Gathering my jaw off the floor, I gave Cremia a conspiratorial smile and took her hand, which I saw had gotten the nails painted the same red color as her dress. "Come in here a minute. I think it's time for your birthday present." The girls behind Cremia giggled madly, and I quickly realized how I sounded. I was about to correct them when Cremia shot a look at them that shut them up. Or at least made them giggle more quietly.

I pulled my smiling girlfriend into the den where the family's 55" TV hung on the wall and where I had stashed my present for this occasion. I gestured for the few boys sitting on the couches to vacate the room, which they did quickly, but not before winking at me or shooting a sly smile. I left the door open before sitting Cremia down on the couch. _Don't want anyone getting the wrong idea,_ I thought. Grabbing the present from a side table where I had put it, I moved to sit down next to the red beauty on the couch.

"Happy birthday, Cremia," I said as I placed the wrapped present on her lap. Her lips parted for a second and she glanced up to me before she looked back down at the wrapping and tore it apart. She looked down in amusement at the maroon sweater with a horse displayed proudly in the center that lay in her lap, looking up with an air of incredulity towards me. I kept my eyes fixed on her and waited.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any clue from me, Cremia reached down and grabbed the collar of the sweater to pull it up. As she pulled it into the air, it unrolled and a long box fell out of its folds. I quickly jerked my hands forward to catch it, presenting it to the confused girl before me. She slowly reached her hands towards it and opened the lid. Her hands quickly flew to her mouth to stifle the gasp that escaped her lips.

Inside the long box, lay a simple golden chain with a deep red diamond-shaped crystal hanging from the chain. The crystal itself hung free of any outline, allowing light to filter through it, illuminating it from within.

"It's called a Fire's Ember, since it always looks like there's something flickering inside it. I thought it fitting for you," I said, meeting Cremia's shimmering eyes. "Turn around," I said as I pulled the chain from the jewelry box. Cremia obeyed instantly and pulled her curls over one shoulder, revealing to me that the back of her dress left a large patch of skin exposed, ending below her shoulder blades. Reaching forward, I lowered the necklace over her head and waited for her to pull her hair out of the way before hooking the clasp together and dropping the chain. Cremia readjusted her hair before turning back around revealing the red gem sitting just above her cleavage, with the tip pointing down towards the partially exposed flesh. It flickered and glowed against Cremia's tanned skin, leaving me awestruck once again.

Seeing my reaction, Cremia rushed towards the nearest mirror and spent the next minute admiring the necklace resting against her collarbone.

"It's perfect," she said quietly. Turning back towards me, she reached down and kissed me deeply full on the lips. "Thank you," she whispered, before kissing me again. After a few seconds, I forced myself to gently push her back.

"We should get back to the party. I'm sure your friends will want to see what you got." Cremia smiled in a way I could only describe as sexy.

"Sure," she said lowly, going in for one last kiss, she pulled away, moving her hand up to the crystal around her neck and walking towards the door. After a calming breath or two, I stood up and followed her.

I turned the corner to see my girlfriend showing off her new necklace to what was probably half the girls at the party, including Zelda. Noticing me, Zelda slipped from the edge of the crowd to lean against the wall next to me.

"That's a beautiful necklace. Where did you get it?"

"It's from a local jeweler, but the crystals are imported from the Eldin region, from Death Mountain specifically. They only form inside the lava cauldron, so they used to be extremely rare and expensive. But because the cauldron is cooling so much recently, they're easier to get and extremely popular," I said, still watching the girls fawn over Cremia and her necklace. "That said, they're still a bit expensive." I threw a cocky grin towards Zelda, who returned it with one of her own.

Suddenly, the mob of girls in front of me surged forward, bombarding me with questions about the gemstone and separating me from Zelda. Cremia quickly attached herself to my side, as if laying claim to me before another girl scooped me up. I just went with it until they let up. Which took quite some time.

* * *

 _You asked for a new chapter? You didn't? Well, that's too bad, 'cause you already read it. Unless you skip to the bottom to read my little notes first. Which is weird. I mean, to each their own, but still..._

 _For those of you wondering, I tried to describe Zelda's outfit from BotW, largely based on a picture by Castcuraga, which is basically what I think Zelda to look like in this story. The picture should be on Deviantart if you want to go looking._

 _Anyway! Thanks to everyone who has been following and favoriting the story so far. Even bigger thanks to my two reviewers for last chapter, xmana033 and Nightwing2013. X, great to hear from you again. Indeed, we shall see. Nightwing, Link is indeed very popular with the ladies, as you will see in the next chapter. Oh, the life of a handsome man. Sure would be nice._

 _Regardless, thanks for reading my gibberish. You can take that to be this note or the story, I don't care as long as you keep doing so. Thinking the next chapter will be up on Sunday. In the mean time, tell me what you think in a nice, meaty review. Preferably bacon, but I'm not too picky. Seriously though, long reviews make my day. Is that subtle enough? Too much? Let me know! Blink blink blink, blinkity blink blink blink._

 _Cheers guys._

 _-Aro_


	6. Chapter 6

Cremia stayed by my side for the rest of the night, keeping any girl foolish enough to make a pass at me at arm's length and staring them down until they backed off. A number were particularly forward, notably Ruto, who, being a Zora, could get away with wearing less and still appearing decent to be out in public. That was a fun three minutes. Not.

Other than those occasional face-offs, the party was full and fun. It seemed like most of the school had indeed been invited and showed up. Geeks, jocks, partiers, library nerds, popular girls, music kids, and more; everyone showed up. All the food went, but there was enough to make sure everyone got some. There were a few bottles of alcohol smuggled in, but Shade and Sheik did the job of finding and confiscating them. A bonfire was started in the backyard when it got dark and with few bugs out, most of the people stood or sat outside, making smores and chatting. Someone broke out a speaker at some point too, and we all took turns playing music and dancing.

By the time midnight rolled around, many of the guests were leaving, wishing final 'happy birthday's and goodbyes. Cremia stood by the front door, thanking them all for coming. And I was finally able to get away and be by myself for a few minutes. Don't get me wrong, I loved being with my girlfriend, but I still needed some time to myself. I had just taken a seat on a couch and taken a few breaths with my face in my hands when the cushion next to me sank and rose as someone bounced on it. I looked over through half-open eyes to see Sheik grinning at me, still bouncing.

"Where have you been?" I groaned. I had hardly seen him since Romani tackled him when we first got here, but I had known he was still around. He was sneaky that way.

"You know, around. Eating, talking, confiscating alcohol, disposing of said alcohol, juggling said alcohol as it was disposed of. Oh, and remind me not to juggle flaming wood in the future, that stuff is really hot," he responded, laughing the entire time. I was about to ask him why he was juggling flaming, alcohol-soaked wood, but he started talking again before I could so much as open my mouth. "I also kept an eye on Romani and put her to bed around 9:30. Particularly impressive when she was hopped up on all that Mountain Dew. She was almost as bad as me." I couldn't help but wince. Despite being 18, Sheik could often cause more trouble than a pack of 9-year-olds. He and Romani together would be chaos.

Deciding to drop the whole thing, I sat up and looked in towards the dining room. There were still a number of bowls and dishes on the table, so I went in to help as the last of the partygoers filtered out. I was surprised to see not only Shade cleaning up, but Zelda too. The two gave me a brief look before going back to their tasks. I grabbed two picked clean bowls and followed suit. At least teenagers made food clean up easy.

We finished cleaning up just as the last of Cremia's girlfriends left, leaving me, her, Shade, Sheik, and Zelda left, with Romani sleeping upstairs. I pulled Zelda aside as she walked out of the clean kitchen.

"Would you be willing to take Shade and Sheik home tonight? I want to stay a while with Cremia," I asked, hoping Zelda wouldn't read into the question too much and get the wrong idea. She seemed glad I had asked.

"Sure. I know for a fact Cremia would love that. She was telling me earlier that she really wanted to spend some time with just you." After thanking her profusely, I made my way out into the backyard, where Shade was sitting on the back porch.

"What'cha doing?" I asked. He was just sitting there, staring out into the darkness.

"Watching the night. Wondering what's out there." He leaned forward and rose to his feet. "You know, normal stuff. What's up?" I decided not to question my twin. He was like that sometimes.

"I want to spend some time here with Cremia, so Zelda's going to take you home. She lives up by that park a few blocks away." Seeing Shade's narrowed eyes, I asked, "What?" He shook his head.

"Just wondering whether you decided to take my advice. Can't decide. But okay, we'll head out in a minute here." Turning back towards the dark, he yelled out. "Did you hear that Sheik? We're heading out." Sheik came bolting out of the darkness beyond the porch lights and flipped over the railing.

"Sounds good," he said, walking into the house with Shade behind him. Once again, I decided not to ask. It had been a long enough day as it was.

I went back inside to see the two boys and Zelda hugging Cremia one last time. Seeing me, Zelda turned to me and gave me a quick hug goodbye. It felt pretty nice. She quickly let go and moved towards the door. Cremia immediately replaced her at my side, pressing herself against my side. That felt even better. I quickly waved goodbye to the leaving trio and watched them shut the door, leaving my other arm wrapped around my girlfriend.

For a second, we just stood there, holding each other, before Cremia tugged on my arm pulling me towards the den. We just sat on the couch, settled in each other's embrace. It was a few minutes before I saw Cremia's hand reach up to finger her necklace.

"Thank you," she half-whispered. I couldn't help but smile. At times like this, she really was adorable. "Not just for the necklace. For coming to help. For the cake, even though Shade made it. And for always being there for me." She wrapped her arms around my neck, but kept her eyes pointed towards my chest. She quickly brought her eyes to bear on mine with an intense look in her eyes. "I love you Link. I always have." I was startled, but before I had a chance to respond, she brought her lips up and met mine gently. When I kissed her back, she pressed harder against me, not just with her lips, but her entire body. Before I knew what was happening, she was on top of me, her body flush against mine, our tongues dancing together. My hands roamed her back, feeling the exact spot her dress gave way to the skin of her back. I started when her fingers dipped under the edge of my shirt and tugged upward. I hastily pushed her back breaking contact with her.

"I'm sorry, I can't," I said, ashamed of myself. I just couldn't bring myself to give Cremia what she wanted. I looked up to see her face and lips flushed, chest heaving, cloudy eyes coming back into focus. "I just can't."

"Why not?"

Her question burned in my ears. I could have given her dozens of reasons. I didn't want to be a teenage father. I respected her too much. I wanted to wait for marriage. I didn't deserve her. But I couldn't say any of those things, because above all, it just felt wrong. I didn't know why, but it felt like I would be betraying a part of myself by having sex with her. "I don't know. I just can't." One look at her tortured face as she slid from my lap back onto the couch told me that she was either about to kick my ass or break into tears. Resting my elbows on my knees, I exhaled slowly, knowing I was possibly making the one mistake that could cost me Cremia, and found that I didn't care. Somewhere deep inside myself, I knew that I had to say no.

With a heavy heart, I slowly raised myself from the couch and made my way to the door. Turning to stand sideways in the doorway, I looked back at Cremia. She still had that shocked look on her face, but I thought I saw the barest trace of tears in her eyes. Looking back down at my feet, I whispered "I love you too," so quietly I didn't know if she had even heard me. Then I forced myself to walk to the front door and leave my girlfriend behind.

* * *

I woke up in my bed the next morning again at 6:30 and forced myself to go on my weekend run, hoping the pounding of my feet would distract me from the ache in my heart. But even through the ache, I knew I had made the right choice. It was again a feeling deep inside my soul that seemed to pulse out to my left hand as I ran.

As I neared the completion of my run, I again passed the park in front of Zelda's house. _Nayru Park,_ I remembered. Supposedly one of three parks forming a triangle around Hyrule City in the shape of…something. Hey, I'm good at history, not trivia.

Seeing the grass still glistening with morning dew, I decided to make a detour. Running to the edge of the pavement surrounding the fountain, I slowed just enough and threw myself down on the wet grass and just laid there for a few minutes, allowing my mind to empty, letting the smooth sound of water push my thoughts away.

I don't know how long I laid there listening to the fountain before I heard light footsteps on the pavement. I opened my eyes, prepared to assure a stranger I wasn't dead or injured, but instead I saw Zelda standing there in a sweatshirt and some sweatpants.

"I thought it might be you out here," she said as she stood above me. "Mind if I join you?" I shook my head and a moment later Zelda was laying on the grass next to me, though in a much more refined position than my wanton sprawl.

"I wouldn't have expected to see you this morning. I figured you would have spent the night with Cremia." I started, turning my head to face Zelda, a questioning look on my face. She laughed lightly. "Yeah, I knew. It was pretty obvious where she wanted the night to go. At least, it was to me."

"At least one of us figured it out before it was too late," I groaned. "I basically led her on and then ditched her before it went too far." _Even now, I hate myself for it._

"Why did you leave? I've only been here for a few weeks, but I can tell Cremia is one of the best girls in the school and most guys would fall over themselves if she was willing to so much as go out with them."

"I don't know. I just felt like it would be wrong. I can't even say why really." I sighed again, the brief relief I had felt from my run slipping away. "I don't even know if she'll even want to talk to me anymore. I was hardly gentle." Zelda scoffed lightly.

"Don't worry about that. Just apologize to her and tell her why you left. I've seen the way she looks at you; she'll forgive you in an instant."

"You think so?" I asked, intending the question to be rhetorical. I pulled myself back up to my feet, feeling much better than I had a minute ago. I spun around to see Zelda propped up on her elbows, looking up at me. "Thanks Zelda, I honestly feel a lo…"

My sentence died on my tongue, swallowed by the sudden stillness that swept over the park. It was as if the air itself had frozen in place. The fountain's gentle splashing ceased, leaving no sound. I looked around confused.

"Do you feel that?" I whispered. Even that slight sound seemed like a thunderclap amid the crushing stillness. Zelda only nodded, coming to her feet silently, seemingly afraid to break the oppressive silence.

As we stood there unmoving, my left hand pulsed with pain. I gasped, stumbling to the pavement clutching my hand as pain continued to lance through it, up my arm, and into my chest. It was the same kind of feeling I had experienced last night, but much more painful, as if it were burning me from the inside.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come, the unnatural stillness broke and the pain receded. I was left panting on my hands and knees. Zelda quickly knelt beside me.

"Are you all right? What in Hyrule happened?" she asked insistently. A faint part of my mind found it sweet that she was concerned. I steadily pushed myself back to my feet, leaning heavily on the fountain, which almost seemed to be glowing _. Weird, I don't remember the water glowing this much._

"I'm fine. I don't know what that was, but it's gone now," I managed to gasp out.

"Are you sure? Maybe you should sit down, at least until you know that…whatever that was…has passed for sure." Zelda was still looking at me with concern. I did my best to dissuade her concerns.

"No, really, I'll be okay. I should get home though; I have homework to finish before tomorrow."

"Well, if you're sure you're okay…"

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow then. Don't forget to practice for the presentation on Wednesday," I said, trying to express an air of normalcy, when in reality I was panicking. This was the second time I had felt that strange stillness in the air and the third time my hand had suddenly started burning. I was no fool to think the two were mere coincidence. I needed time to figure out what was going on, something I felt I was in short supply of.

* * *

 _Dun, dun...DUNNNNNNNNNNNN! It's really hard to write dramatic sounds. One short hop, skip, and logic jump later, I'm discovering the sound effects guy from Spaceballs and Police Academy was Michael Winslow. Cool stuff guys. Cool stuff._

 _Also, just saw Solo, great movie. Lots of fun, would recommend._

 _Cool note: new highest number of views record set Friday. Glad you guys are sticking around and enjoying._

 _Cooler note: Xmana033, Ultimate blazer, and shadowlord8917 all reviewed last chapter! Now they're part of the "Makes Aro Super Happy While He's On Break From Work" Club. It's great, we get cookies. No entry fee either, just have to tell me what you think of the story. Doesn't have to be positive either, though those are the best. If you take the time to tell me how terrible the story is, that's still a win? Kinda?_

 _X, I certainly hope they're cute, that's the point. *insert evil laugh here* It might have been uncomfortable for him, probably was, but those are the things we do for the girls we like. Any man worth his salt knows a happy woman equals another day alive. Ultimate, I sure hope it looks interesting, otherwise you just wasted a good chunk of time reading through it. Thanks! Shadow, glad I've got your seal of approval. I'd love to have more Midna, but I'm not sure how she'll factor in yet. Probably won't have a major role, but she'll pop up again. The other two though, that's spoilers. If you can have spoilers for something that isn't written yet. To be determined, I have ideas..._

 _Sweet, so next chapter things get a bit of a kick in the pants, plot wise. What's going to happen? Will Link have his innards become outards via feminine rage? Does Zelda use this opportunity to sweep in and steal Link from Cremia? How will the presentation go? Will we ever get to the damn plot? Tune in next time on "Revival of the Gods"! (Wednesday? Thursday? Eventually? One of these is true.)_

 _Cheers all._

 _-Aro_


	7. Chapter 7

The next few days for me passed in fear. Cremia refused to talk to me until Tuesday, leaving me a nervous wreck all though Monday despite Zelda's reassurances that she would forgive me. That, combined with the ever-present fear that my hand would start burning with that pain again, left me unable to relax. But on Tuesday, I finally managed to apologize to Cremia and, just like Zelda said, the whole matter was quickly forgotten. After a few days of no pain in my hand, I forgot about that too. My new biggest concern was my impending presentation with Zelda.

Zelda and I spent lunch on Wednesday going over our notes one last time before Science. Zelda and I were online looking for any last-minute events to add to the presentation.

"It looks like other people have experienced the unnatural stillness as well," I muttered as I scrolled through blogs and news sites. "I'm seeing numerous accounts, but they appear to be quite isolated. They've only been documented in the suburbs or in the main part of Hyrule City. It says here that meteorologists are thinking the dead spots are being caused by fluctuations in the air currents. Oh, they've even got a map here." I turned my laptop towards her, letting her see an overhead view of the city and clusters of dots that marked the reported locations of the dead spots. "I think I'll print this off for the report. We should be able to incorporate it easily enough. Have you found anything?" She shook her head lightly.

"Nothing really. The only thing I'm seeing is references to legends from ages ago." I was intrigued and motioned for her to continue. "According to the legends, the rise of evil in the land is often foreshadowed by unnatural events. Drought, disease, failed crops, that kind of thing. I guess what we're seeing now could be taken as something similar. Think we should include that in the presentation?" I quickly shook my head.

"No, Barnes hates rambling. He'd probably dock us points for going on about fairy tales."

"Okay then," Zelda said, snapping her laptop shut as the bell rang overhead. "I think we should be good to go. Just make sure you print that map off. I'll see you in a bit, Link." I nodded.

"See you then." I took one last look at the map still displayed on my screen. Something about it made it seem familiar. There wasn't much notable about the clusters, other than their largely even dispersal. Then something caught my attention. One of the clusters marking the dead spots was situated directly above my neighborhood. Obviously, I had experienced the abnormal stillness first-hand, but I was still surprised. Looking closer, it seemed that the spots were at their densest right on Nayru Park. _I guess that happens a lot right there. I wonder why? There's nothing special about the park. Well, whatever, I need to get to class._

* * *

 _And now time for my inopportune anxiety attack,_ I thought as I sat in Science class waiting for the bell to ring. This always happened to me, I'd be fine leading up to a project, panic last minute, and then be perfectly fine while it was going on. But those five minutes of being on the edge of doing something were torturous. _I think I'm actually sweating._ I glanced over to Zelda, who was flipping through her note cards. She looked perfectly fine, and, dressed in a white blouse and black pants, looked very professional. I wasn't a complete mess, sticking with jeans, a plain green shirt, and a green beanie, but didn't look nearly as good as she did. As I glanced down at my notes one last time, the bell rang, and Barnes came strolling through the classroom door.

"Alright, shut up," he said loudly. Everyone did. No one wanted to be on his bad side. "So first off, we've got our first presentation. Props to Link and Zelda for not being lazy asses like the rest of you. We'll listen to them present and then get on with the lab for today. Anyone screwing around will get to present Friday, so unless you're ahead of the game or want to commit suicide by public embarrassment, listen up." Ending his tirade, Barnes nodded to me and Zelda, pulling his chair to the side of the classroom to watch. I stood up and my nervousness evaporated. Weird, right?

Zelda had put together a trifold board with all our diagrams on it and popped it up on Barnes' desk for easy view, with her on the left and me on the right. Zelda started us off quickly and with confidence.

"Hyrule is historically a geologically stable country, with the notable exception being Death Mountain, our own active volcano in the Eldin region. However, we've recently been experiencing mysterious geological phenomenon. Scattered earthquakes, the cooling of the Death Mountain caldera, irregular storm systems, and atmospheric disturbances. We're going to examine these four occurrences and inform you of the theories behind these strange changes in the established patterns. We'll start with the earthquakes."

From there on, everything went smoothly. We had decided to split up the topics to two for each of us. Zelda took the earthquakes and storms, while I talked about Death Mountain and the atmospheric dead zones. Only one problem. As soon as Zelda started talking about the earthquakes, my left hand started to itch. I didn't think anything of it at first, but the more she went on, the worse it got. I managed to get through my piece on Death Mountain before itching it furiously while attention was on Zelda. It wasn't as painful as it had been that Sunday in the park, but it seemed like it was well on its way. But I pressed on. No way was I going to blow this presentation. I heard Zelda stop talking and realized I was up again. Doing my best not to look like I wanted to curl up and clutch/cut off my dominant hand, I pushed forward.

"The last of the anomalies is related to sudden lulls in atmospheric movement. The result is a pocket of what we call "dead air," where there is no ambient noise. Having experienced it myself, I can tell you, it is quite disturbing. The current theory is much the same as those concerning the irregular storms, that Death Mountain's cooling has affected established air currents. However, one trait seen in these dead zones doesn't appear in the storms. The dead zones are all clustered together, as you can see on this map."

At this, I gestured to the map I had printed off with my hand, which now felt like it was about to melt off. "As you can see, the three most focused areas are in the Din, Farore, and Nayru districts." As I said this, I traced my hand along the map from the northern-most cluster, to the one to the south-east, and across to the south-west group, the one sitting above Nayru Park. Impulsively, I moved my hand back up to the northern collection of dots. My hand pulsed as I completed the motion. _Weird. Well, weirder._ I quickly continued.

"Additionally, three smaller groups have also been noted, one here in the Gerudo district, here in Akkala district, and here in the Faron district." Again, I traced the map from point to point, going east, west, south, and back up. Again, my hand pulsed. And that was when the pain vanished.

Only to be replaced an instant later by agony so all-encompassing that I couldn't control myself any more. I crumbled to the ground, screaming in pain and clutching my hand. I stretched it out in front of me, desperate to at least see what was causing my torture. By chance, I had fallen facing the desk and could clearly see the map I had been tracing. Upon it burned a sigil. A large triangle with a smaller, upside-down triangle inside it, exactly along the lines I had traced a moment ago. As I watched, transfixed by something that shouldn't be there, my hand pulsed once again, and the lines on the map responded with another pulse an instant later. With another pulse, I managed to focus on the back of my hand. I saw an identical mark take form there, darkening my skin as if I had a deep tan. The corners of the larger triangle darkened, leaving the center, upside-down triangle the same color as my natural skin. The new mark seemed to shudder before golden light erupted from the darkened patches, searing my eyes. I screamed one last time before the light faded and I fell into blessed darkness.

* * *

 _How's that cliffhanger? Smarts a bit, doesn't it? For the observant in the audience, you might notice this chapter is *adds generous amount of bullshitting* a tad shorter than my other ones. That's literally only so I can have this cliffhanger. A stinger like that really doesn't have the same impact when you find out four seconds later what happens. So stew on this for a few days. For those of you indignant about the chapter length, two things you should know: first, shut up, it's my story, I'll write it however I please. Second, we're getting towards the kick off of the quest (as you may be able to tell), which, without spoilers, lends itself to longer chapters. How long? Great question, I'll let you know when I finish it. It's being a bitch to write. Describing...stuff...is really hard._

 _On another note (F# maybe?), reviews. Four of them this time. Nightwing, I put it down to him being the hero gives you a bit more presence of mind. Very true though. It'll be more fun this way too. Ultimate, cheers and agreed. midnaisbae, I see you. *wink* Sorry though, not this time around. In another life maybe. Definitely an interesting idea though. That'd be a fun mess to untangle. James, thanks. Nice to hear from you again._

 _An extra thanks to everyone following and favoriting the story. Thanks to fancy graphs, I can see that about 400 people have at least taken a look at the story. 10 favs and 14 follows are greatly appreciated. And to those of you who don't know, following is the fastest way to not only become one of coolest people on this site, more popular with the people you like (results not guaranteed), and increase your IQ by five points (also not guaranteed), but as an added bonus, you get notified any time I post a new chapter. Just thought I'd throw that in for you as a bonus, no need to thank me. If you need more convincing, I have this cool virutal money which has been generously "donated" by mindaisbae, which I will be evenly distributing among my reviewers for the next chapter. See? Incentive._

 _Anyway, new chapters coming soon. Sooner if I can get this damn chapter done. Working a lot is great from an "I'm a bit broke" standpoint, but not so much from a "Really want to write this story" one. Got a few days off though, so between playing Hyrule Warriors, watching anime, and sleep, more story shall be written. Just got to power through and then we get some fun new toys. Hehehe, can't wait._

 _Cheers ladies and gents._

 _-Aro_


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone in movies comes out of unconsciousness slowly, blinking blearily into some bright light. I seriously wish that was what happened to me.

I snapped awake in a panic; arms flailing for purchase on something, anything, to keep me grounded. I heard sounds of alarm from around me, people panicking from my frenzied movements. Everything was a blur of color and sound. Until a resounding voice brought me to a halt with a stern "Stop."

Something about that voice made me calm down. I clamped my arms to my side and took deep breaths until the world turned from a blurry collage back into its normal, recognizable form. I slowly realized that I was in the school infirmary on one of the beds. Cremia, Barnes, Telma the school nurse, and Headmaster Rauru were all standing over me, looking intently at me and probably saying something too, but I ignored them for the moment. My head shot back and forth as I looked for the source of the voice that had shaken me out of my panic. I relaxed as soon as I saw Zelda behind Cremia. For some reason, I knew it was essential that she was here.

"…feel? Look at me, Link, eyes up here." Blinking, I refocused on the voice bombarding me.

"What…? What happened? What's going on?" My voice hurt, probably from the screaming.

"You started screaming and then passed out, Link. Now, eyes here. Follow the light." I recognized the voice as Telma's and did as she asked, hoping that if I did she would stop shouting in my face. Likely seeing I was alright, the other three backed off slightly, though Cremia stayed close.

After a few minutes of various tests, Telma stepped back.

"He seems to be alright physically, if not reeling a bit," she said, though an air of concern still emanated from her. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'd best get back to class then," Barnes said shortly. "You caused quite the disruption. Don't do it again." With that, he left. As I followed him out with my eyes, I realized that Shade was also in the room, leaning against the wall and mostly out of sight.

"You alright?" I heard him call. I gave a short nod and the best Link smile I could manage, which probably wasn't great, but seemed to be enough for my brother, who nodded and left quickly, probably to spread the news. My thoughts, however, were immediately interrupted by a soft, wet mass that managed to get its arms around me even though I was still laying on the bed.

"Thank the Goddesses you're okay. When I heard you'd collapsed, I was so worried! You were unconscious for so long too!" Cremia sobbed on my shoulder. I did the math, which explained the softness on my chest. Hey, I might've turned Cremia down Sunday, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the female physique.

While Cremia assured herself that I was still alive, I looked over her shoulder to see Zelda, who had been extremely quiet thus far. She had a look of deep concentration on her face. I smiled lightly at her and raised my left hand from Cremia's back to wave slightly. Her tightly pressed lips curved upward slightly, but her eyes narrowed slightly as well. She was thinking. Hard. With an intensity I had yet to see in her.

It was kind of intimidating.

Finally, Rauru cleared his throat and Cremia detangled herself from me.

"Alright, Miss Lon Lon, why don't you wait outside for a few minutes. I need to talk to him for a few minutes, and then, with Telma's approval of course, he should be able to leave." Cremia paused, then nodded slowly and left, looking over her shoulder as if to make sure I didn't start panicking again. Or maybe she just didn't want to leave me.

Zelda moved toward the door as well. For a moment, it looked like Rauru was about to say something to stop her, but he said nothing. Telma also left the room, retreating into the nurse's office. Rauru sat down in the chair Cremia had vacated and stroked his moustache before speaking.

"Well, Mr. Forester, this is quite the strange occurrence. I'm told, and correct me if I'm wrong, you're giving a presentation in class and collapse screaming in pain, shortly thereafter you pass out. Sound right so far?" After a short nod from me, he continued. "Telma has told me that it's unlikely that you are on any sort of drug and overdosed, as she is rather knowledgeable of what those symptoms look like. Furthermore, there is a mark on the back of your left hand that your brother and girlfriend both say has never been there before. To go further, you're a month away from graduation and have been a diligent, popular student, making me doubt that this is an act of rebellion or senior pranking." Here, he paused for a second. "So, anything you can tell me about what happened that would help shine some light on the situation?"

"No, sir," I said, glancing down at my hand to confirm the triangle design was still there. It was, with the notable absence of the blazing light from before, making it look like an extremely detailed and precise birthmark. I flexed my hand briefly and was relieved to not feel any sudden pain. I looked back up to see Rauru watching me intently.

 _He knows more than he's letting on,_ something inside me said. I'd never been that great at reading people, but I knew I was right. I happened to glance at the clock on the wall and saw that school had been let out almost an hour previously. "If there's nothing else sir, I'd like to get home and I'm sure my brother would too." Rauru nodded slightly, now stroking his moustache again.

I raised myself from the bed and easily swung myself off onto steady legs. I took a few tentative steps to ensure I wasn't going to topple over, before walking directly to the door. Outside, Shade and Cremia waited, the latter of which threw her arms around me once again and kissed me to boot.

"You sure you're okay?" she asked as I detangled myself from her again.

"I'm fine, don't worry about it. Probably just a combination of a cramp and exhaustion. I've been staying up pretty late recently," I said to reassure her. I saw Shade tense out of the corner of my eye, but ignored him. He probably just recognized that I was lying out my ass. To prove I was alright to Cremia, I walked through the deserted hallways towards the doors. She seemed to calm down. "Did Zelda leave? She was in there when I woke up. And where's Sheik?"

"Yeah," Shade said. "I heard her say something about researching something. She said she'd text you later though." I nodded and, having left the school, started heading towards the parking lot. "Sheik went with her."

I hugged Cremia one last time before she finally relented and let me go home. The drive was mercifully quick, and it wasn't long until I was face down on my bed again, this time upside down. Of course, it wasn't five minutes before my phone buzzed in my pocket. Groaning, I fished it out and looked to see what had caused the disturbance.

A text from Zelda, it turned out. _"You home yet?"_ it said. I punched out a short "yes" before dropping my phone and dozing off. Turned out getting knocked out really does you in.

I wasn't sure how long it had been since I fell asleep when I was shaken awake, but I knew it wasn't long enough. Before I could think, my arm shot out and, for lack of a better word, launched the current focus of my annoyance across the room. One indignant thump later, I vaguely heard what was probably Shade groaning.

"Dude, chill. Don't you think that was a touch extreme?" I didn't think the question was worth an answer. It was pretty obvious in my mind anyway. "Whatever," Shade sighed. "Zelda's downstairs. She's insisting she needs to talk to you. And she's clearly not taking no for an answer."

Now don't get me wrong. Normally, I'd care. I'm a caring person. But Zelda's name brought back flashes of light and pain, exactly what I was trying to avoid, so I made the executive decision to say, 'screw it,' and let myself fall back asleep.

I woke again some time later, my left arm hanging off the edge of the mattress. Something was keeping my hand pleasantly warm, and I felt it twitch in response. Then the warmth moved, and I realized with a start that the warmth was alive. I jerked up and away from the whatever-it-was.

Back and arms pressed against the wall like some weird lizard, I looked to see Zelda looking up at me with an intent look from the floor, her hands still stretched out to where she had been holding mine before she dropped them into her lap, where a notebook and pencil were sitting.

"H…Hi Zelda. What're you doing? In my room? While I'm asleep?" I stammered out. Normally, I wouldn't have freaked out quite as much, but it had been an extraordinarily weird day. Zelda blinked before dropping her eyes to the notebook in her lap. She shuffled through the papers a bit before stretching her hand out to me, holding a print-off. I warily took the page and looked at it, but basically stared through it as I tried to figure out what in the name of the Goddesses was going on.

"Have you ever heard of the Triforce?" Zelda asked, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Sounds vaguely familiar, why? And again, the hell are you doing in my room?"

"The Triforce, according to old stories, is the remnants of the Goddesses' power left in the world before they returned to the heavens. It is split into three parts: the Triforce of Power, the Triforce of Wisdom, and the Triforce of Courage. It is said to grant unimaginable power to the wielder of even one of the pieces and the ability to rework reality itself with all three. The Three, as they are also called, are often referenced in the old stories as wielded by the Demon King, Princess, and Hero in their many clashes. Can you guess what the symbol of it is?" At this, Zelda looked up expectantly at me. I didn't know whether she wanted an answer or not, so I didn't say anything. I couldn't help but glance down at my hand though. Zelda leaned back with a satisfied smirk. "Three triangles forming a larger triangle. Somehow, the symbol of the Triforce is on your hand. Any explanation for that?"

"No," I said hesitantly. I gave the mark on my left hand a long look. "But I think I know who has one."

* * *

The very next day, Zelda and I decided to skip lunch to have a little chat with Headmaster Rauru. It was surprisingly easy to get into his office. All I told his secretary was that I needed to talk to the Headmaster about yesterday's incident and I was basically thrown into the room, where Rauru sat almost expectantly.

"Ah, Link, good to see you again. I assume you've come to talk about yesterday's incident." Zelda moved from behind me so she could see Rauru as well. "And Ms. Harkinian has come as well. I suppose you helped Link realize what it was that he had on the back of his hand?" I turned to see Zelda nodding, looking just as confused as I felt. "Well," Headmaster Rauru continued, "have a seat and I'll begin explaining."

After sitting down and giving Rauru a moment to collect his thoughts, I opened my mouth to hopefully get some answers, but Rauru quickly held up his hand, signaling me to wait.

"Let me speak first. When I'm done you can ask questions to your heart's content. Alright?" I nodded slowly and Rauru continued.

"I suppose first of all I should say that I am not only the headmaster of this school. My family is part of a long line of historians and scholars for the Royal Family of Hyrule. I assume you both are at least somewhat familiar with the old stories and fairy tales of Hyrule?" Zelda and I both nodded an affirmative.

"There are many of these stories, told many different ways. However, at the center of it all, there are true stories from which all others came. My family has been tasked with recording The Legend, as we call it. A true account of adventures, crises, victories and defeats, heroes, princesses, and evils through Hyrule's long history. An endless cycle of evil and its defeat stretching back to Creation itself. All though the Legends are instances of tragedy, and every time, one rises to bear the mantle of Hero. According to the first of the recorded Legends, this Hero was one chosen by the Goddess Hylia, for which Hyrule is named. This First Hero fought a god and won, but as a god cannot be killed and will always return, the hero was trapped within an endless cycle of reincarnation alongside the god, with his purpose ever the same. Defeat evil reincarnated. Make sense so far?" Zelda and I nodded again, transfixed by the story. I had always loved the old fairy tales, so to learn they were true, at least to a degree, was amazing.

"In the first of the Legends, when the First Hero destroyed what we know as the Demon King, the Goddess Hylia took on mortality to assist her chosen hero. But as a goddess' soul can never truly die, so she has always been reincarnated alongside the Hero, to assist him in his fight against evil. Other beings have been caught up in this cycle of reincarnation, but the Hero and the Mortal Goddess have been the only ones to appear in every account of the Legend. Though the evil they face together changes, their souls are always the same and they always take on the same names." Here, Rauru paused and looked expectantly up at me. "The Hero's name, since the beginning of the Legend, has been Link." Rauru maintained his gaze on me. "He, or should I say you, are the steadfast shield of Hyrule against the eternal threat of the ancient god of evil, Demise."

 _Oh, sure. Of course._ To put it simply, I was in shock. Thoughts whirled in my head, threatening to tip me over, mentally and literally. _I'm the reincarnation of some old, demon-killing hero that pops up in history to kill shit and save the day?_

"Nope, nope, too weird. Can't do it. This is crazy. Wait, does that mean that all those old heroes from the stories are actually me? Or another version of me? How is that possible?" I looked over to Zelda, hoping she had more luck making sense of this than I had. All I saw was the same look from yesterday, showing she was thinking hard. I looked back to Rauru, who was still looking at me. "Okay, hold it. Back up. So what if my name is the same as some old hero? I'm sure there are other guys named Link out there. And that's not even my real name! It's Linkoln! What makes you so sure I'm this reincarnation?"

"Simple. Your hand. In the Legend, the Chosen Hero is often marked by the Triforce, which the First Hero attained and used to destroy Demise. That mark appearing on your hand coupled with the recent heralds of a new evil in the world leaves no doubt in my mind. The reincarnation of Demise has risen, and you are called to defeat it, Hero." _Turns out we should have included those stories in our report after all_ , the small unhelpful part of my brain said.

"Okay, so say there is some big bad in Hyrule. And I'm supposed to go kill it. You said that this goddess always appears to help out, right? So, where is she? Does this Legend give her name too?" Rauru seemed to smile lightly.

"It does indeed, but there is something else you should know about the Legend. We call it that because it traces the line of the Goddess Hylia, who began the cycle of reincarnation when she took mortal form. However, that is not its full title. We gave it the name the Goddess took when she was first born a mortal. The Legend of Zelda." After pausing for what I'm pretty sure was dramatic effect, Rauru smiled widely. "So as for where the reincarnated goddess is, I'd start by looking to your right."

That did me in. I leaned back in my chair and faced the ceiling, willing this absurdity to make sense of itself. Finding it unwilling, I turned towards Zelda. A shocked look sat on her face as she looked vacantly into the distance. "Zelda," I said, and her focus slowly shifted onto me. I couldn't do it anymore. Well aware that I probably looked insane, I burst into laughter. Rauru, to his credit, seemed to take it in stride.

As nice as it was to laugh at the absurdity of the entire situation, I couldn't ignore just how much sense it made. It was like something inside me was slowly nodding in affirmation. My laughter slowed and faded away, and I shifted back into a state between denial and acceptance.

"How do we know what you're saying is the truth?" Zelda asked, bringing me back to the present. She was looking steadily at Rauru, who had been sitting patiently behind his desk, still smiling. _What is up with this guy? Does he find all this funny?! What the fuck?_

Suddenly, Rauru's arm jerked and I saw the world slow down. I could see a pen flying from his hand towards Zelda, but instead of shooting towards her, it looked more like he had slowly tossed it at her. Without thinking, I quickly brought my hand up to grab it out of the air and reality took hold again. My arm was in the air and my fist clenched a foot in front of Zelda's face, holding the pen, though it was now cracked into three pieces. Rauru nodded towards me, looking at Zelda.

"There's your proof. Every hero has been blessed with enhanced strength, endurance, and reflexes, to ensure they can withstand the basic physical rigors of their quest. They're also have a near-instinctive urge to protect the Mortal Goddess from harm, as Link just demonstrated. Satisfied?" Zelda just looked at me in awe. I didn't blame her. I knew I had good reflexes, but this was absurd. Then I remembered last week at lunch. Somehow, I had known what Sheik had been doing even though I hadn't been looking at him. And I had just acted without thinking to "save" Zelda from the pen. Too many things were lining up with what Rauru was saying.

"So maybe what you're saying about Link is true," Zelda said slowly. "But what about me? What proof do you have that I'm this goddess?" I had to try very hard not to ask her if she had looked in the mirror recently. Fortunately, Rauru saved me from death by humiliation.

"No concrete proof unfortunately, only that your name is Zelda and are in close proximity to Link. However, I wouldn't be overly concerned about being the incarnation of the Goddess. Many Zeldas thru ought the Legend never knew their soul was that of the Goddess Hylia. Historically, the Mortal Goddess doesn't serve a major role in the Legends, usually providing support for the Hero. She often has magical prowess as well, but it is unsure if that is because of her ties to the Goddess or her possession of the Triforce of Wisdom, as is often the case." Zelda seemed satisfied with the answer and lapsed back into deep thought.

"So, wait," I interjected, "if the Mortal Goddess has such a small part in this Legend, why tell Zelda at all? Why not just me?" Rauru grimaced slightly.

"You make a good point, Link. I'm telling you both this because I believe this cycle to be particularly auspicious. As chroniclers of the Legend, we take careful note of any indications of the beginning of a new cycle. I've read over a dozen of the individual Legends, and none have had such dramatic foreshadowing of a new cycle as we are experiencing now. It's also been a particularly long time since the last Legend, over a thousand years instead of the usual few hundred. I fear that something is coming, possibly far worse than anything seen in the past. And if I'm right, then I have no doubt you both have a role to play in this cycle. That's why I thought it best to tell both of you."

Zelda, Rauru, and I sat in silence for a few minutes, all deep in our own thoughts. Finally, Zelda spoke up.

"So now what? If there really is this big reincarnation of evil coming, what are we supposed to do?" Again, Rauru smiled wryly.

"Now you train. And hope you're ready to face destiny when it comes for you."

* * *

 _Greetings all, your benevolent(?) overlord Aro here. I'm really struggling with funny ways to open this note, so let's assume I would have come up with something eventually and move on._

 _So, you wanted a new chapter? Well, I think I left some chapter in between all the exposition, but I'm not sure, so if you find it, please be sure to let me know. I do hope no one is rolling their eyes too hard at my "Legend of Zelda" thing. I wanted some way to justify the series name, and this was my way to do it. Still can't decide if I like how I did it or if it's just super cringe, but here it is, and that's the end of it. Also, everyone who noticed how often Link thinks of Zelda as a goddess, yes that was intentional and building to this moment. Cheers to you for noticing. Also a couple other things I tried to tie together, I'll let you figure out what they are._

 _Now, to reviews! Ultimate, I hope you're not dead from anticipation. Here's your dose of story for a few days. Use it wisely and be sure not to overdose. Not sure how you'd do that, but I'm sure you'd find a way. X, hell yeah I added it. You were the first person I saw that was really excited about the story. Not to knock those who came before you, but you were enthusiastic and I appreciated that. Plus it was a good idea and easy to implement. Nightwing, now you have your answer. But when will he get the-~~*Aro has been censored for purposes of the plot and because he can't give away spoilers. He has been warned against such infractions going forward. We are sorry for this interruption.*~~ It's going to be great, hope you're excited for everything to come._

 _Next chapter is...*checks chapters*...stuff! Very exciting and dramatic stuff! And things too! Glorious things! It'll be great, you will all either love me or hate me, and the reactions will be a great measure of how I've set up this story. Mwaahahahhaahhaha, I can't wait. That'll be out soon. Luckily, I have up to Chapter 11 written, with 12 coming along pretty well. After that, we get into parts that I'm actually excited to write, which will definitely help the creative process. Expect more story soon! Soon being Tuesday or Wednesday._

 _Alright, this has gone on long enough. Time to end this catastrophe and get back to writing. Cheers all!_

 _-Aro_


	9. Chapter 9

Zelda and I were both sitting in my room again. By the time Headmaster Rauru had finished his explanation, lunch was practically over. Zelda and I had both agreed to meet later to figure out what the hell was going on.

"Funny how much 24 hours can change, huh?" I quipped from where I was sitting on my desk, since Zelda had commandeered my bed. She just nodded in response.

"So what do we do? Rauru had the helpful advice to 'train,' but what does that even mean? How do you train to fight an eternal demon? Or to be a goddess?"

"I don't know," Zelda said, looking aimlessly at the ceiling. "Normally, I'd do research like with your Triforce mark, but how do you research something that has almost no consistent factors? The number of stories involving a Hero in Hyrulian tradition is in the dozens, with no telling how accurate those are. And who knows if those are even true or if they're just variations on a different story. So many of the old stories are so similar it's hard to see the differences." She moved her head to look me in the eye. "How in the names of the Goddesses are we going to do this?"

"No idea," I sighed. Suddenly a thought came to me. "Wait, I just had a thought." Zelda perked up. "Since you're apparently a goddess, can you swear to yourself?" Zelda slumped back down, rolling her eyes but with a definite smirk on her face instead of the same frown she had been wearing.

"That would be where you would go with that, isn't it?" I shrugged, unabashed.

"Man, this is dreary. Seriously guys, lighten up. You look like someone gave you a really hard riddle to solve or something." Zelda and I started slightly and looked over to see Sheik leaning against the doorframe, playing with a small knife. Seriously, he takes his ninja vibe way too far. Zelda looked confused by the sudden interruption that is Sheik.

"What? What do you mean?"

"You know, a riddle. Like one that has you puzzled for ages. For example, 'I have cities, but no houses, mountains, but no rocks, rivers, but no water. What am I?' Stuff like that."

"That's just a map." Sheik's eyebrows quirked in confusion.

"It's a map," Zelda explained. "Cities, mountains, and rivers are all marked, but they're made of ink and paper, not houses, rocks, and water. Its simple." Sheik just shook his head.

"Okay, maybe not the best example with Miss Genius over here, but my point stands." Sheik exhaled heavily. "I guess this is what I get for trying to shake you two out of your funk. Whatever, as you were." With that, he kicked himself away from the doorframe and bounced down the stairs.

Zelda looked at me with bewilderment. "What was that about?" I shrugged again.

"I've learned its best to just move on and not ask too many questions when it comes to Sheik and his antics. The man could make a scientist doubt gravity." Zelda laughed, finally breaking the air of melancholy in the room.

"So, what are we really going to do about this apparent threat to the world? The headmaster made it pretty clear we're the only ones who can do this. And to top it all off, he won't even give us a heads up about what we're supposed to do, even though he has who knows how many records of what I've done before." I was rather put out that Rauru wouldn't really help us.

"Come on, Link, he explained why he can't help," Zelda said with a lecturing tone. "Any time the Hero was given a bunch of help, things ended up going incredibly wrong. So really, its better if you figure it out. Besides, you'll have me to help you, no matter what Rauru says." With this, she flashed me a sly but sincere smile that had me instantly feeling better. If I was going to go on a quest that could possibly kill me and the entire world, I'd rather have a friend with me. The fact that she was a reincarnated goddess couldn't hurt either.

"I suppose you're right," I relinquished. "Still, it bugs me that I suddenly have this massive destiny or something to fulfil but can't do anything about it. I just have to sit and wait." Ugh, just talking about staying still made me want to move, run, fight, do something.

"I know what you mean, but we should take this opportunity to train," Zelda said, as she watched me pace the room from the bed. "We don't know how long we have, but from what Rauru said, it's probably not long. We've already noticed the omens, so I'd guess as they get worse, the closer the big bad is to breaking free. Really, there's no better time to start than now."

Finally, something to do. "Let's get to it then."

* * *

Zelda and I trained every day after that. She cautioned restraint, so we didn't wear ourselves out too much, but there was no way I was going to take it easy with the world at stake. I ran every day, usually home from school. I decided to do some rock climbing too, since I always enjoyed it and it's a great work out. I also found myself practicing with an old sword I found in my closet. Shade and I had inherited the blade from our father and it had apparently been in our family for ages. After messing around with it, I found I had a natural aptitude for it. I took it to a blacksmith one weekend to have it fixed up, as over the years it had taken a few knocks and lost most of its shine. With the restored sword in hand, I found myself moving effortlessly through various forms. It was natural in the same way I knew I'd need to find a shield for my right arm. It was only after Rauru told me a sword and shield were the typical weaponry the Heroes of old outfitted themselves with that my natural inclination made sense. The way I figured, after who knows how many lifetimes of killing shit, it must be ingrained on my soul how to use a sword.

Zelda also did her own brand of training. She joined me for my runs, but mostly did research on any indication on the threat we'd be facing, looking through everything she could find for any clues. She found a few things, but I could tell she was frustrated by how little she found. She also tried to draw out any of the magic she thought she might possess but met with similar luck. I could tell she was irritated by how easily I was apparently fitting into my role as Hero while she was having so much trouble. Of course, my burning muscles begged to differ, but I wasn't sure how to comfort her.

We went on this way for almost four weeks. Of course, people noticed my change. Sheik and Shade would find me working out or practicing constantly, and while Sheik mostly left me alone, I knew Shade was getting tired of me hiding something. Keeping secrets from your twin is not easy. Cremia also noticed my shift. And while she was appreciative of the new definition of my muscles, something she seemed to never stop pointing out, I was beginning to suspect she was getting tired of me dodging her attempts to hang out. I didn't shut her out completely, but we saw a lot less of each other than we used to.

Finally, shit, as the saying goes, went down. I was practicing my sword techniques in my backyard while Zelda was skimming through old history books on the back deck. It was a nice day, so I had stripped down to a tank top to try to stay cool. I was in the middle of parrying an imagined blow from something twice my size when I heard something come flying at me from the house. Without thinking, I dropped and swung my sword to intercept the object. It fell to the ground, and I saw it was one of Sheik's kunai. Rising from the ground, I saw Shade, Sheik, and Cremia all standing on my porch looking at me with various degrees of surprise and awe.

"Huh," Sheik half grunted. "Looks like I shouldn't have worried about hitting you after all. That was pretty cool." A nefarious look sprung into his eyes as he produced more knives from…somewhere. "Want to see how good you are in actual combat?"

"Sheik, stop it. The last thing we need is someone getting hurt because you decided throwing knives at people was a good idea," Zelda said from her seat, eyes not leaving the book she was reading. The impressed trio seemed to start at her voice, probably not realizing she was there. I guess I was just that awesome.

"Oh, Zelda, you're here too," Cremia said, turning to the other girl. "Good, I wanted to talk to you about this too. You and Link have both been acting really weird lately." Sheik and Shade both nodded in assent. "Link's always off exercising now or, apparently, playing with swords." I saw Sheik snickering at Cremia's wording before Shade elbowed him. Some things never change, even when Cremia literally described what I was doing.

"And you always seem to be reading something," Cremia continued, unphased by her fellows' antics. "I know you like to read, but this is excessive even for you. Neither of you seem to have time to spare, but you're always hanging out together." I could hear a growing tremble in Cremia's voice as she spoke. "A-are you…cheating on me, Link? Is t-that why you wouldn't…" To say I was dumbfounded is an understatement.

"No! Of course not! This has nothing to do with that! I just…" I trailed off, knowing that any sort of explanation I could give would either be a flat-out lie and incredibly unconvincing or the truth. I couldn't decide which one was going to be more detrimental to my relationship. Pleadingly, I looked to Zelda for help. To her credit, she tried.

"Cremia, he's- "

"No," she said quickly and with surprising venom. "I want to hear it from him." Shit, back to square one. With Cremia standing at the top of the deck steps and me at the bottom, she looked like she was going to smite me. Which, to her credit, was probably incredibly likely.

"I'm…training for a tournament. I saw something about one and I'm training to participate." Not entirely untrue, but still a lie. And Cremia could tell. Tears immediately welled in her eyes.

"Fine," she spat through what sounded suspiciously like a sob. She was gripping the necklace I had given her like a lifeline. "Don't tell me. But I don't want to see you until you tell me what you're up to." With that, she quickly turned and walked through the back door, smashing her shoulder into Hunter, who was coming to see what all the fuss was about. I heard the distinctive noise of metal snapping and saw the necklace's chain hanging from Cremia's hand, snapped in two. With a renewed sob, she ran through the house until I heard the front door slam.

Hunter probably got a pretty good idea from my crestfallen face and the triplet looks of surprise from Zelda, Shade, and Sheik. "Figure it out, Link," he said as he turned around. "The longer you leave that, the worse it'll be." I didn't have time to ponder his words before a fist slammed into my solar plexus and I was left on the ground gasping up at Shade.

"Don't make me do that again." Apparently he thought he got the message across, because he turned and walked back into the house, closely followed by Sheik. To be fair, it was a pretty good way to make a point.

Once my lungs remembered how to function, I hauled myself off the ground and stumbled into a chair next to Zelda. She gave me a quick glance before returning to her book. "Looked like that hurt." I rolled my eyes as best I could.

"Yeah, you could say that." I let the statement rest for a moment. "Was there any better way I could have done that? Because I'm really not seeing one."

"Honestly, probably not. In fact, if you weren't such a bad liar, that would have worked pretty well. But really, no matter what you said, they probably would have thought you were lying."

I couldn't help but respond with heavy sarcasm. "Really? I don't know. 'I'm the reincarnation of a fairy tale and have to go kill some demon thing before it destroys the world' sounds pretty reasonable. I'm sure they would have been accepting of that." I sighed, lost in the horrible feeling of guilt burning in my chest. I turned to look at Zelda. "Seriously, any advice you have to help me end up not dead at the hands of an emotional girlfriend would be appreciated." Zelda finally closed her book and moved to face me.

"Ultimately, it comes down to whether you want her to know or not. But really, we don't know so much as what we're facing, much less what its capable of. Anyone we tell is potentially in danger, and I'd really like to keep the number of people who know what's going on as low as possible." Seeing I was about to protest, she raised her hand to stop me. "Before we tell anyone, I think we should at least have a plan of action. Once we figure out what we're doing, then we can maybe tell a few people. But if we tell them before we start, they'll try to talk us out of it and make it really difficult for us. So, I think we should wait. Of course, Cremia is your girlfriend, so if you need to tell her, that's your choice." We sat there for a while, letting the only sound be the rustling of leaves.

"Right," I said, breaking our companionable silence. "At this point, I have to try with Cremia. I owe it to her to be honest, even if she doesn't believe me. But I think you're right that we should wait to tell anyone else. Something tells me we won't have to wait long though. I've felt…on edge the last couple days. Whatever's coming its coming soon."

* * *

Zelda left not long after, and with nothing to distract me, I quickly noticed everyone was avoiding me. Even Wolf was glaring at me from the couch. I took a quick shower to clean up and decided to do some homework. Apparently Rauru thought math took precedence over saving the world. I was halfway through my assignment when Sheik and Shade appeared in my doorway.

"Come to chew me out more, guys? Trust me I don't need it," I said, not looking up from my notes.

"Link." Shade's voice wore a tone I rarely heard, one that demanded absolute attention. I quickly turned to see them both wearing serious faces. I knew they were pissed about Cremia, but this was a bit much.

"How much of what you were talking to Zelda about was true?" Sheik asked quietly. Ah. Shit. Not good. Bad. My mind went gloriously blank.

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb," Shade scoffed. "Though it's probably not hard. Sheik overheard you talking to Zelda about saving the world or something."

"It was, and I quote, 'I'm the reincarnation of a fairy tale and have to go kill some demon thing before it destroys the world,'" Sheik quipped. Bastard had a near perfect memory when it came to conversations. Both the boys looked at me with raised eyebrows. Well, Sheik did. Shade couldn't raise his brows individually, something I made fun of him endlessly for.

I was trapped. My words weren't exactly something I could brush off as a joke. So, I really had no choice. Pushing away from my desk, I rubbed my face in my hands, not ready for the shitstorm this was going to cause. "You guys know about all those old fairy tales about heroes and magic and stuff?" I said, hoping they wouldn't hear me through my hands. I saw them both nod, so apparently it didn't work.

"Turns out some of those old stories are true. Every time evil rises up in Hyrule, a hero and a mortal goddess are reincarnated to stop it. They go on some epic quest and kick evil's shit in. Well, I'm the hero reborn and Zelda is the goddess. Headmaster Rauru from school told us we have to protect the world from some ancient evil that is due to pop up any time now. That's why I'm training, that's why Zelda and I are so close, and that's what I couldn't tell you earlier because you'd think I'm crazy." With this, I looked up at them, waiting for them to conclude that I should probably be medicated.

To my surprise, they both fixed me with somber, criticizing stares, probably trying to figure out when I went over the deep end. To my surprise, Shade calmly asked, "And Zelda believes this too?" to which I nodded, confused as to why they hadn't put me in a straightjacket yet.

"Well, if Zelda's in agreement and as much as I hate to say it, I don't think we really have a choice but to believe you." Clearly, I was hallucinating. No way in the Dark Realm are they just accepting this. My story was less believable than a magic whale dreaming an island into existence. Which may or may not have actually happened, so what the fuck am I supposed to think now?

"You guys believe me? Seriously? No fuss, no arguments, no talking me down from the brink of insanity? Just, okay?" I said, incredulous. Sheik was the first to answer.

"I mean, as a Sheikah, I know things I'm not allowed to talk about, and compared to that stuff, this lines right up. Not too much of a stretch. Besides…" Sheik suddenly poofed away in a cloud of smoke, only to walk out of my bathroom two seconds later with the biggest shit-eating grin I'd ever seen. "I already know magic is real."

Shade recovered first, pointing his had at our apparently magical cousin. "That's neat." Turning his attention away from Sheik far too quickly for the other boy's liking, he looked me in the eye. "You can't lie to me, you should know that. And you're not lying now, so I really don't have a choice but to believe you. 'When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.'" Shade shrugged, his mind made up. "Besides," he again pointed to Sheik, "that goes a good way towards proving you're not insane."

I couldn't help but laugh with relief. I had been terrified the two wouldn't believe me. But they did. Sheik even knew something about this seemingly other reality I found myself inhabiting. It gave me hope that Zelda and I not only wouldn't have to do this alone, but that we might have help along the way. I could only hope Cremia would see it the same way.

* * *

To put it shortly, she didn't.

I had gone over to her house first thing the next morning to try to explain why my life had turned upside down, hoping and praying to any gods that would listen that she would understand.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the same kind of proof for Cremia that Sheik and Shade had. Sheik had forbidden me to reveal the existence of the Sheikah to anyone and I unfortunately didn't have any spare magic to pull out and prove I wasn't crazy. Which, to Cremia's credit, wasn't what she thought of me. She seemed to believe me right up to the point where I was the only one who could save the world.

"Why can't you let someone else do it? You said Zelda and Headmaster Rauru are in on this too? Let them do it! I don't want you to go out there and get hurt! Forget about whatever story they told you about destiny or whatever!" I understood where she was coming from, but the idea didn't sit well with me.

"I'm not scared of being hurt, Cremia. And this isn't about what I'm supposed to do because I'm a reincarnated hero." I floundered for a second, trying to find how to express how I felt, even though I could feel the two of us breaking. "How could I sit back and let this happen, knowing I could stop it? Even if I fail, at least I did something to try. I can't stay put when everything I care about is in danger. That's not who I am, and that's not who I want to be. You've always said you admired my bravery." I looked up at the girl in front of me, tears trailing down her face. "This is what that bravery really looks like. Not to say I'm not scared. I could fail, and the world could end. But I'll be damned if I don't fight for who and what I love. I've only lost when I've given up, and I will never give up, not to my dying breath. I have to keep my courage. I have to fight this. Please, help me fight." I stopped, knowing Cremia's next words would either cement our relationship or make it crumble. I waited for what felt like an hour for the sentence that would be the ultimatum of our relationship.

"I can't."

My breath caught. "Why?"

"Knowing you're out there willingly, ready to die if it comes to it, I can't bear that. I can't let you go out there knowing you won't fight to come back to me." I tried to interject that I would, that this was bigger than us, but she stopped me. "You can't change my mind. I can see now that our relationship isn't the most important thing to you anymore. I'm n-not blaming you, I understand, but that's not what I wa-want. I need someone who will give t-their everything for me, s-so that I can do the same for them. You're not fighting for me, you're fighting for the world. And I just ca-can't sh-shoulder that burden with you."

She was crying in earnest now, stuttering through her sentences. "I'm sorry, Cremia." Poor condolences for what was happening to the deep friendship we shared.

"I'm sorry too, Li-link. I-I just can't." She paused to inhale deeply, tugging at my necklace to her. "I h-hope you can for-give me. I'll pray t-to the Goddesses that you succeed. And I hope you f-find so…someone else to be with. But that person can't b-be me. We're done." There was a definite finality to her statement, and I could feel it in my heart that it was true. With a final sniffle, Cremia turned to walk back into her house. Just before I turned to leave, I heard her necklace give way again and saw it fall to the ground, only to crack against a half-buried stone. My now former girlfriend knelt to pick up the cracked stone before her shoulders crumpled and she fell into sobs. I wanted to comfort her with everything in me, but I knew it would only hurt more. So instead I did one of the hardest things I'd ever done. I turned and walked back down the driveway.

* * *

 _Oh, hey guys. How ya doin'? What's that? The chapter? What about it? Oh, that. Yeah, had to be done. I mean, you all knew Sheik was going to play a part in the story. Oh, wait, not that? What then? There's not anything else that you could possibly be up in arms about...is there?_

 _All joking aside, I hope I made the breakup at least somewhat believable. It's easy to have Link or Cremia make out with someone else, no name calling, for there to be a big fight, and they break up. But neither one of them is that kind of person. Ultimately, it comes down to what they put first in their priorities: themselves or others. It should be obvious which one is which. Also, I slipped a neat little placeholder for Link and Cremia's relationship into this chapter. Let me know if you noticed what it was._

 _Now, on to reviews. Ultimate, I hope your fears are alleviated. As for Ganondorf...last time I said anything, scary guys in black suits came and demanded I change it, so I think you'll just have to wait to find out. Maya, great to see a new name around, hope you're enjoying. I'm glad you like the line, I try to write in as much humor as I can. X, bravo to you, you have indeed found the chapter._

 _So guys, that review section took little to no effort to write out. I blame you for this. Sure, a quick "hey liked the chapter" is great and all, but come on, I know you guys are better than that. Tell me what you liked, what you don't, are you excited to see Link and Zelda...oh, shit, those are the guys in the black suits in that helicopter. I've got to go. Where'd I put that duffel bag? Ah, found it. Review if you found the placeholder thing. And if you didn't, review saying you couldn't find it. Oh, and I suppose you could tell me how terrible I am for tearing Link and Cremia apart, but whatever. Cheers all._

 _-Aro_


	10. Chapter 10

Tears rolled down my face all the way home.

As I pulled up into the driveway, I saw Zelda sitting on the front step, clearly waiting for me. She stood up as I left my car and approached the door. She opened her mouth, probably to ask how it went, but didn't get any noise out. I suppose my distraught face and slight shake of my head was enough.

I went up to my room and laid down on the bed, not caring that Zelda had followed me up and was sitting on my desk chair, before letting myself fall apart. It's not easy to make me cry, but this got the better of me. I couldn't help but curl up and sob into my arms. After a while, I felt Zelda's hand rest on my back. She didn't say anything, didn't offer any words of comfort, just sat and offered her silent support. It meant more than I could say, and I let myself continue to cry until I fell blissfully asleep.

* * *

Even with only about a week of school left, it didn't take long for the whole school to learn that Hyrule High's "perfect couple" had fallen apart. Rumors swirled about the exact nature of the breakup and a number of girls approached me trying their luck with the infamous Link, but they were turned away by either my friends, foremost being Zelda and Shade, or with my own flat rejections.

The one thing I made sure of was that our friends understood that they shouldn't pick sides. Not that they could have, since missions to save the world weren't exactly the kind of thing I wanted everyone weighing in on, but I still tried to make sure they didn't shun Cremia because of me. I think Cremia probably did the same thing, since, even though she was hurt beyond belief, she still didn't have a malicious bone in her body.

The last week of school and finals passed, and suddenly school was over. I had done it. Though I was still hurting, emotionally and physically from my continued training, I couldn't help but be happy that I had survived the seemingly eternal torment that was high school.

Our big graduation event took place on the Sunday after school ended. Our graduating class was about 200, so we fortunately didn't have to listen to too many long speeches before we all got our diplomas, each of us tramping up to the stage in our long robes to get our papers, shake the headmaster's hand, have a quick photo taken, and get down so the next person could be called. It was a nice feeling, but there was too much ceremony for my liking.

Just as Vatti was going up the steps (how the hell did that lazy ass graduate?), every hair on my body stood on end, right before a massive shaking started. I vaguely notice that Vatti had fallen off the stairs and was sorely rubbing his butt. Serves him right, pompous jerk. After a nervous moment, the rumbling calmed down, leaving nothing but a bunch of shaken up parents. I made eye contact with Zelda across the room briefly, both of us knowing the sudden quake signified something much more dangerous.

We were running out of time.

The ceremony went on, but I couldn't focus; even when they asked all the graduates to come to the stage for a group picture, I was zoning out. Thank goodness Zelda and Sheik were there to shove me into position so I wasn't standing there with a vacant expression on my face.

Thankfully, the ceremony ended, and the string of friends and well-wishers kept me occupied. The celebratory party that was thrown at our house did an even better job. Zelda never seemed far from me, and we frequently made eye contact, but I honestly couldn't tell if we were doing it on purpose or by accident. I saw Cremia a few times as well, but we both subtly kept our distance. Of course, some of her closer friends were considerably less subtle, but you can't win them all. Sheik, Shade, and I tried to keep the noise down and the alcohol away, which we at least partially managed to do. Thankfully, it was a warm night and the party largely stayed outside and let Hunter sleep. Besides, there's nothing like partying on a Sunday night knowing you have all the time in the world to sleep in the next day.

By the time everyone had left, it was well past two in the morning, and after a half-hearted attempt to clean up and walking Zelda home, both of us dead on our feet, I stumbled up the stairs and fell asleep. But not before ensuring my alarm for the next morning was turned off.

I didn't know exactly what time I woke up the next morning to the sound of my phone ringing, but I knew it was far too early. I groggily rolled over to see Zelda's blurry face on my phone. Knowing I wasn't going to be able to ignore this, I answered, doing my best to keep under the covers as much as possible.

"Mhuzup?" I muttered into the speaker. Conversations when running on not enough sleep are not my forte.

"Link? Are you still in bed?" Zelda asked, seemingly incredulous. I grunted out some noise of assent, hoping she would let me go back to sleep. I vaguely heard Zelda sigh with a huff. "Get up and get over here, fast. I think that earthquake last night triggered something with the fountain. You need to see it, there's some sort of…shield or barrier around it."

This caught my attention and I catapulted out of bed and strode into my bathroom. "Give me ten minutes," I said hurriedly, already stripping out of my clothes.

"Good. And Link…" I paused my mad struggling with my boxers to hear her better. "Bring your sword." She hung up, leaving me still for half a moment before finishing removing my clothes.

I didn't so much shower as got wet, soapy, un-soapy, and un-wet really fast. In four minutes, I was downstairs, blowing past a surprised Hunter and Sheik, grabbing a bagel, and sprinting out the door to Zelda's house, strapping my sword across my back as best I could with one hand while sprinting.

True to my word, I was knocking on Zelda's door eight minutes after I had gotten up. As I waited for her to come to the door, I looked towards the fountain in Nayru Park. Like Zelda had said, there was some sort of barely visible barrier around the fountain, about fifteen yards in diameter. It strained the eyes to focus on it, like it was reluctantly visible. I was relieved when Zelda opened the door and distracted me from my staring contest with the fountain's barrier.

As soon as she opened the door, her eyes squinted in confusion as she looked me up and down. "What are you wearing?" she asked. I wasn't quite sure what she meant until I looked down.

In my frantic desire to get out the door, I hadn't paid much attention to what I put on. I was wearing a faded, old but durable pair of jeans tucked into one of the thickest pair of boots I owned, a pair I usually reserved for days I helped Cremia out at Lon Lon Ranch. Over that, I had a somewhat loose green short-sleeved shirt over a lightweight long sleeve. Over my hands, I had a pair of leather-ish fingerless gloves that I thought might be Shade's. I could also feel my longish hair, which I had neglected to cut in the past few weeks, tied back so it was out of my face. The funny thing was, instead of feeling awkward or out of place, what I was wearing felt right, natural even.

Shaking ourselves out of our thoughts, Zelda and I stepped back into the house. I half noticed Zelda was dressed much more normally, wearing a light pair of skinny jeans and a blouse-shirt thing.

"Why are you dressed like that? I expected you to show up in whatever you could find, but you look like you actually wore something practical." She looked me up and down again. Was that…admiration? Appreciation? Not the point.

"Honestly, I wasn't paying attention to what I put on." Zelda looked at me in disbelief but dropped the subject. "Have you checked out the fountain yet?" I asked.

"No, I wanted to wait for you to get here. I only noticed right before I called you, and I've been up since 8." At my inquisitive look, she added "It's about 11:30 now."

"Want to go take a look then?" She nodded, put some shoes on and we went outside. Fortunately, I didn't see anyone else as we walked across the street to the fountain. Explaining why I was carrying a sword might be a bit tricky.

We stopped just short of the barrier encircling the fountain. I grabbed a stick off the ground and poked at the barrier, surprised when the wood went through it with no problem. I looked at Zelda, shrugged, and poked it with my finger before she could stop me.

Fortunately, I didn't explode, just felt a bit tingly. Zelda made some sort of squawking noise before she noticed I was fine. Taking a deep breath, I pushed more of my hand, arm, and finally my body through the barrier. Inside the barrier, the air had the same unnatural stillness Zelda and I had felt there weeks ago. I turned around to see Zelda looking at me apprehensively.

"Seems alright. It's like a persistent dead zone."

"Interesting," I heard Zelda say, her voice slightly distorted, presumably by the barrier. She reached out to touch the barrier, but quickly removed her hand with a hiss of pain.

"What?" I asked, concerned.

"I don't know. I got that feeling like when your leg falls asleep, but really intense. I couldn't push through the barrier either." Confused, I walked back and forth across the transparent wall a few times, but I didn't feel anything like what she was describing and could walk through just fine.

" It must be recognizing you as the Hero, letting only you through," Zelda said, clearly thinking hard, but also disappointed. An idea came to me and I held out my hand.

"Here, take my hand, let's see if this works."

I slowly walked through the shield again, going slowly. Zelda tensed as our grasped hands approached the shimmering barrier, but slowly relaxed when first her hand, then her arm, and the rest of her passed through with no problem. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was entirely on the fountain side, before realizing she was still holding my hand. She seemed to get flustered and…was that a blush? She quickly removed her hand from mine and moved towards the fountain, which was still bubbling merrily, despite the unnerving stillness.

As we approached the fountain, I felt the now familiar twinging in my left hand. I looked down to see the symbol of the Triforce shining on the surface of the glove. As we continued to approach the fountain, I could see the symbol becoming more and more distinct.

Finally reaching the fountain basin, Zelda pointed out a matching glowing Triforce on the central pillar of the fountain. With no other clue as to what to do, I stepped into the water and pressed my left hand against the glowing emblem on the pillar. A loud humming pierced the still air before the water coming out of the fountain stopped, leaving the basin to quickly drain, revealing the entire basin to be covered in what looked like blue glass, except it worked more like a mirror, reflecting everything in a bluish hue.

My attention was quickly drawn to a portion of the basin that lowered slightly with a loud thud before lowering itself more to form stairs going down. Torches lit the new stairs intermittently, leaving enough light to ensure the steps were mostly visible.

Zelda, who had climbed in to stand next to me, peered down the passage, probably trying to see further down, but the curve of the stairs blocked her view. We both shrank back as something that sounded suspiciously like skittering echoed up the gloomy tunnel. Zelda and I looked at each other with matching faces of consternation.

"Well," Zelda said apprehensively. "Shall we?"

This was probably going to suck.

* * *

 _Well, holy moly guys, looks like there is an actual plot to this after all. 'Does this mean we can get over this boring relationship crap and get to some fighting?' I hear you asking. Yes, yes it does. It's finally dungeon time. So that'll be a few chapters, and then we get some more good stuff. Fun fun, can't wait._

 _Speaking of fun toys, got a new computer today. Say what you will, Microsoft knows how to make a sweet computer-tablet-thing. Ideally, this will allow me to do more writing than ever, giving you guys more story to read! Great news all around!  
_

 _Reviewers, ready for your special treatment? Shadowlord, I really want to be pissed at you, but that's the sort of thing I would do, so I really can't be too mad. Ultimate, I appreciate your enthusiasm. Yes, you certainly are. As far as the villain goes...you know, I'm pretty sure my house is bugged now because of you. You're going to have to wait to see just like everyone else. Nightwing, as much as I want to argue with you, you're not wrong. But he's better off without her, as you and pretty much everyone else already knows (Ultimate most of all). Maya, glad it made you laugh. Men, in case you didn't know, are generally idiots. (I'm assuming you're a girl from your username and such. If I am incorrect, then this is something you already know.) Guest,...thanks, I guess. Next time, please use an actual name and say something of worth._

 _And here's your PSA for all you would be reviewers. If you're not a member on this site, sign up. It takes two minutes, and lets you post reviews really easily and even lets you get emails any time your favorite stories are updated *ahem ahem this story ahem ahem*. If you aren't sold on that and still want to leave a review, please put in a name of some sort so I can actually reply to you. Don't want to be an ass, but I like what we have going here and I don't want to ruin it. So sign up and review away._

 _With that out of the way, I'm going to get to the next chapters. There'll be two or three of our duo in the dungeon and then we'll get some exciting newness. If that sounds familiar, that's because its the same lie I've been feeding you for a few chapters now! Oops, not supposed to say that! Enjoy and review!_

 _-Aro_


	11. Chapter 11

You know, sometimes I really hate being right.

It doesn't happen very often, but there have been certain times. Like when Sheik decided juggling knives would be a great way to test his juggling skills. When he was 10. Or when Shade decided to cook dinner for the first time. Just in case you couldn't guess, ash really does taste bad.

However, neither of those nor the other handful of occasions I could remember quite compared to slogging through what felt like a sewer infested with spiders. And of course, because normal spiders aren't nearly bad enough, the spiders ranged anywhere in size from a small dog to roughly the size of a fridge.

Thank the goddesses Zelda had thought for me to bring my sword, or else we would have been in a lot of trouble really quickly. Thanks to the sword, we were in slightly less trouble. Not much, but every little bit helps.

Zelda and I had descended the spiraling stairs to find a large circular room with three doors along the walls. There was another door on the landing of the stairs, probably leading further down, but this one was locked with a large, complex-looking contraption. And last but not least, all the spiders the size of dogs.

I pulled my sword from the oozing carcass of the fourth spider, breathing hard. "Thank the Goddesses for all that training," I wheezed out. Zelda came up behind me from where she had been standing by the stairs.

"Are you all right, Link?" I nodded briefly, steadily regaining my breath.

As I stood there, hands on my knees, Zelda started poking around the room, carefully avoiding the dead spiders. Of the three doors in the wall, one was covered in a thick bramble of vines and thorns. Zelda found a small area that was thorn free but couldn't budge the thick vines.

"Guess we're not going that way," she muttered. By now, I was fully recovered and joined her by the vines. I swung my sword at the same patch she had been pulling at, but my sword cut less than a quarter inch into the tendril before stopping. I had to pull hard at it to get it out.

"I guess we'll check out the other doors then," I said, seeing the branch I had cut was already knitting itself back together.

As we moved towards the one of the doors, I noticed Zelda very carefully kept her eyes away from the spider remains, which seemed to be decaying extremely quickly. "Not a fan of spiders, huh?" I said, causing her to start, before giving me a look that said I was an idiot.

"Have you ever met someone who was a fan on massive, monstrous spiders? Not to mention Skulltulas? Those things are everything horrible about spiders condensed and given a boost of evil. So, no, I do not like spiders. All those legs and hair and…." She trailed off with a shudder. I had meant it in jest, but now that she actually talked about it, I was quickly acquiring an aversion to the beasts as well. Not that I liked them in the first place.

To get through the door, I had to basically lift the door out of the way. Fortunately, the slab was clearly supposed to move, as it was actually quite light. For a stone slab at least. We certainly weren't going to be able to escape through one of them quickly if we were attacked again though.

Which is exactly what happened as soon as I let the door drop. Two more skulltulas dropped down from the ceiling. Unfortunately, I had largely dealt with the last ones by running around them and hacking at their legs. Now we were in a narrow tunnel facing the spiders with hardly any room to maneuver. Fortunately, the spiders were on the other side of a narrow channel filled with flowing water, giving us a moment before they sprang at us.

I managed to pull myself and Zelda down in time to let the first spider jump over our heads. As it soared through the air, I swung my blade over my head to slice through two of the monstrous spider's legs where they attached to the body.

"STAY DOWN!" I yelled to Zelda, launching myself from my crouching position towards the second spider. Through a combination of luck and skill, I managed to thrust my sword into the brain of the beast before it could pull its armored legs up to block. Twisting in the air served a double purpose to ensure the spider was dead and to reorient myself back towards the first spider, which was now scuttling towards a still crouching Zelda who had dropped into the water channel to get out of the way.

I snatched a broken piece of stone off the ground and quickly hurled it at the advancing spider, forcing it to stop to block the rubble and giving me enough time to jump over the channel, weave past the spider's legs, and jam my blade deep into its skull. The beast twitched twice and fell limp, already starting to decay.

I heard Zelda splash out of the shallow water behind me as a stinging pain hit my right arm. Hissing in pain, I dropped my sword to grasp the wound I didn't know I had gotten. Zelda rushed over, and I lifted my hand to see three barbs from the spider's leg embedded in my shirt, which was being stained with a small amount of blood.

"Link, are you all right?" Zelda asked, already rolling up my sleeve to see the wound. I grunted lightly as I felt the barbs pull free of my skin.

"I'll be fine," I said, silently enjoying Zelda's doting, even if I was in pain. "I didn't even notice it really." Now that I thought about it, I had felt a pull on my arm as I moved through the last spider's legs. I winced as Zelda used the edge of my sword to tear a bit of my undershirt off to make a rudimentary bandage.

"Well, be careful. Not all of us are naturally amazing with a sword. I don't even know how you pulled off that flip. I would have lost my grip and been eaten." Zelda went from worried to quiet and subdued as her mind caught up with what her mouth was saying. "I wouldn't have gotten through the first room. Farore, I wouldn't have gotten past the barrier. Not much of a goddess if I can't even get past a little barrier by myself." Zelda tied off her improvised bandage with a firm yank. I resisted the urge to wince. "I'm useless."

"No, you're not." Zelda started at the venom in my voice. "You didn't hesitate to jump headfirst into what looks like an underground, spider-infested maze. You could have easily just let me go in myself. But instead, here you are, giving me the one thing I need most." Zelda looked up at me, hope in her eyes.

"What?"

"A friend." I could practically see relief flood into her eyes, and a gentle smile lifted her mouth up. "Also," I said after the moment had passed, "you make a great piece of bait." Zelda didn't hesitate to punch me in the ribs, which I deserved, but I could also see she was still smiling. We pulled ourselves to our feet and moved into the next room.

This room had a short hallway spilling out into a small square area before going down another small hallway. I could see something at the end sitting on the floor, about the size of a boulder. But before I could get a good look in the half-gloom that pervaded this place, two squishing blobs dropped from the ceiling. I held my still-drawn sword at the ready.

At first, the blobs didn't do anything. However, by chance or by design, the two blobs made contact and quickly merged into a single, double-sized blob. It didn't do anything until Zelda and I moved towards it, at which point it jiggled ominously (doesn't really make sense, but its true), and jumped towards us. Fortunately, it was pretty slow and predictable, so we were easily able to dodge it. Once it landed, I slashed through it cutting it back into two smaller pieces. Unfortunately, the two blobs didn't seem phased, both jumping at us.

We dodged around the blobs and moved towards the hallway across the room. Luckily, the blobs moved at a snail's pace and seemed to prioritize merging back together giving us time to get away from them.

Down the hallway, I could see that the something on the floor was actually a chest. An honest-to-goddesses treasure chest. My fingers twitching with the desire to open it, but since I was the one with the sword, I let Zelda pry it open. Fortunately, it wasn't locked.

"Link, there's only an old key in here." Since the slimes were moving slowly, I glanced back to where Zelda was kneeling in front of the chest. Sure enough, the only thing in the chest was an old key. The sparse light glinted off the dull metal.

"Well, grab it and let's go. I want to get away from these slimes before they try to eat us or something. We'll figure out what it's for later." We hurried down the hallway back the way we came, only to find more of the small room taken up by the slime, which seemed to have grown in size. I quickly hacked at it in hopes to make it smaller. Which worked, but also doubled the number of slimes we had to dodge as we booked it back down the first hallway and out the door.

"Probably absorbs moisture to grow bigger," Zelda said as we strolled back to the main room. "It seemed to be more unstable though. You cut through it more easily when it was larger. Didn't seem like there was a way to kill it though."

"I guess we'd better just hope we don't run into any more of them in cramped rooms." We made it back to the first, large room, at which point we decided to go through the second unlocked door.

Once through the door, the hallway immediately took a sharp right and had another channel of water flowing down the center. We walked down the hall and made it though the door at the end without being attacked.

The room we ended up in had another chest against one wall and a large grate in the floor, into which three streams of water flowed. We cautiously approached the chest. I was extremely wary of the apparent lack of enemies. I had played enough games to know what a trap looked like. I motioned to Zelda to stay low and keep quiet, not wanting to unwittingly trigger whatever was waiting for us. I kicked the chest, senses on high alert. When that didn't do anything, I shoved the lid of the chest up with my boot.

Unfortunately, I was once again right. The chest made a horrible, earsplitting creaking noise as it opened, and spiders poured out of some holes in the ceiling I hadn't noticed. Most of them were rather small, but there were about four that were the larger variety I had cut through earlier. I had dealt with two of them when I heard Zelda scream, felt the ground shake, and heard a massive thump from behind me. I whirled around and was confronted with a skulltula three times as large as the other ones. Basically, a horse with twice as many legs.

After a short adjustment period that almost ended up with me being eaten, I focused almost entirely on the large spider, only keeping enough track of the other ones to dodge their attacks. I even managed to manipulate the massive creature to kill one of its fellows when I dodged. It took a minute or two to find the monster's carapace didn't extend to the swollen underbelly of its abdomen, leaving it free to be sliced away at. As fast as the beast was, it couldn't turn fast enough to keep my steel from sinking my steel deep into its flesh, eventually causing the beast to shudder and collapse, impaling the last (relatively) small spider on one of its flailing legs. I collapsed on the floor as the hideous abominations disintegrated.

All at once, I became aware of what felt like a hundred cries of pain from my various body parts. My shoulders ached from swinging my sword, I had nicks on my legs and arms, one of the small skulltulas had gotten their fangs in my leg (I hope that's not poisoned), I had more barbs in my arm, and my head was spinning very slightly from a knock I had taken to it. It was totally worth it though, because Zelda wasn't hurt.

"…ink. Link! Eyes up here, are you okay?" She was crouched next to me looking worriedly into my eyes. 'Pretty romantic,' a part of me said. The rest of me was too busy whimpering in pain to answer. Reluctantly, I pushed myself off the ground. Who knew stone could be so comfortable.

"I'm all right, Zelda," I muttered as I pushed away from the ground. I felt like I was standing on a wall for a second before everything stopped spinning. "Just needed a minute." I put on an air of being alright. Which of course only lasted until I tried to take a step towards the still open chest. My foot didn't really do what I wanted, and I went stumbling against the large box.

"Goddesses, Link, slow down. You just fought off five monstrous spiders singlehandedly and probably have a concussion. You need to rest for a second." Zelda sounded exasperated, a feeling I could relate to since my legs wouldn't function properly.

"Okay, maybe you're right, slow is good." I rested my back against the wooden chest, silently relieved to have a break. Out of curiosity, I reached back and pulled out whatever was still in the chest.

This time, it was actual treasure. I pulled out a heart-shaped crystal thing, which seemed to have a pulsing core, like a heartbeat. "What is that?" Zelda asked. I shrugged and dropped it into my lap. It must have been pretty fragile though, because as soon as it hit one of the buckles on my belt, it cracked and shattered. I was stunned and surprised to see the shards float in the air for a moment before flying into my chest. At the same time, all my wounds started healing, and by the time the pieces had finished flying into me, I felt like I hadn't been injured in the first place.

"Well," I said slowly rising to my feet in case all the pain came back. "That was unexpectedly helpful." Zelda was once again stunned. For supposedly being a goddess, she sure got surprised a lot. I grabbed her hand and hauled her upward. "On the upside, I'm not on the verge of passing out anymore. Let's just keep going and figure this all out later." Zelda could only sigh reluctantly.

"Alright, fine. Let's go."

* * *

 _Ladies and gentlemen, it's dungeon time! At long last, something actually happens! No more sitting around talking and expositing! No more relationship drama! Huzzah, the storm clouds of boredom fade away and give rise to the light of action! I have no clue what I'm saying anymore! EXCITEMENT!_

 _Now, I hear you asking, "What about all the Zelink?" No really, Nightwing literally asked. I have good news (just in case you missed it in this chapter). Not only will Zelda and Link's relationship develop outside of the dungeons, but inside the dungeons as well. Nothing cements a relationship like killing shit and almost dying! At least, that's what I've heard. Only had one girlfriend and she was not the dungeon-crawling type. But anyway!_

 _Onward to the reviews! Confused Man, yes, please do review. Sorry to confuse you. Unless that's just a perpetual state of being for you. In that case, there's not much I can do. Nightwing, thank you very much. Plenty of relationshiping and dungeoning at the same time, so don't worry there. I'm glad you agree with my assessment of men; anything else is just denial. Ultimate, good catch. There is indeed new things, along with new stuff, and even new **REDACTED**. It's gonna be good. And yes, the actual relationship we want. Maya, it seems I am victorious again. To be fair, I literally had a 50% chance of being right. Lucky for you, you don't have to wait long. As in, not at all!_

 _Alrighty then, just so you guys know, this chapter was a little light on dungeony aspects, mostly just setting up for next chapter. But next chapter, ho boy. Puzzles, fights, drama, dungeon stuff. Good times. A quick note here as well: I drew out the structure of the dungeon so I could plan it out and I am more than willing to put said drawings out for you to see. Just let me know and I can get that set up. Also going to have weapon/tool/ item designs and boss sketches, so let me know if you want to see those._

 _Last thing, don't forget to review! Positive praise is the best motivator. Give the story a follow and favorite to stay up to date on all the latest excitement. Cheers all!_

 _-Aro_


	12. Chapter 12

After my miraculous recovery, Zelda and I went back to the main open room and used the key we had found to open the door by the stairs. Unfortunately, the lock clamped down on the key when it unlocked, and there was no way we were going to be able to get the key out without breaking it.

"Sure would have been convenient if we could have just used the same key on all the locks," I muttered as we descended the flight of stairs that were behind the door.

At the bottom of these steps, we found another door like the one we had just come through but unlocked. The landing spilled out into another massive room, clearly a lower section of the space above. A brief look around showed three doors in the walls, one locked, one covered in vines, and the third unlocked.

"Guess we try the unlocked one first?" Zelda muttered. "Must be another key around here somewhere for the locked door." I grunted in acknowledgement and we went through the door, took a sharp right, went down the corridor, and emerged in a large room that sloped down steadily. Water poured down from three spots in the ceiling and filled the room like a swimming pool. Only difference was this water was dark and nasty looking.

"Up for a swim?" I said jovially. I think Zelda actually went a little green at the thought. "Not much we can do in here, want to try to keep going down?"

"Sure. As long as we don't have to go in…that," Zelda said with a shudder as she pointed to the mucky water.

We went back to the large room and continued down the central spiral staircase. It made two full revolutions before spitting us out in front of a positively massive door. And if that wasn't enough of a deterrent, there was a large, menacing lock on the door that practically screamed 'keep out.'

"Well," I said. "Guess we're not getting through that." Zelda rolled her eyes.

"Really? What tipped you off, genius? The fact that the door probably weighs as much as a dump truck or the enormous spiky lock on it?"

"Actually, it was the big 'stay out' sign." Zelda punched me in the arm, but it was totally worth it to see her looking around utterly confused for a second.

We both tramped back up the stairs to find ourselves in the same central room we were just in. "Well, what do we do now?" Zelda huffed, sounding rather defeated. She must be getting a bit tired. She hadn't does as much physical training as I had, and that magic heart crystal thing had really done wonders for my stamina. "There must be something we can do, but all the doors are either locked or covered in invincible vines. All we've got is a generally damp underground sewer system crawling with evil demon spiders and slime balls, which are also invincible."

"Hey," I said, grabbing Zelda's shoulder. "We'll figure this out. Whoever set this place up wouldn't make it so it was impossible. It was clearly set up to be challenging, so we just have to figure out what the twist is. It's like a big puzzle." Suddenly Zelda's eyes brightened.

"Wait, that room with all the water in it. The water was coming from the ceiling, but the pool wasn't overflowing. I bet if we can stop the water, it will drain out. But where is it coming from…?" Zelda trailed off, probably analyzing the problem from fourteen different angles. I was busy trying to figure out how this whole place was set up. I was more a visual thinker. I managed to put together a decent mental map of this place in my head when I realized something.

"Zelda." She stopped her pacing and quiet muttering and looked at me. "That room with the drain in it upstairs; I think it's right above the room with the water in it. That's probably where the water is coming from." Revitalized we ran back up to the first floor. We were quickly back in the room where the spiders had ambushed us. Sure enough, the massive drain in the floor seemed to lead down to the room below it. "So now just to find a way to stop the water…" My eyes trailed to the three channels of water flowing into the drain. That was when I noticed the pipes in the wall and a small valve attached to one of them. I figured it was worth a shot and twisted the valve. Fortunately, it wasn't rusted over too much and was relatively easy to twist. Sure enough, one of the water flows slowed and eventually stopped.

"I guess we just have to find the other two valves and shut them off," Zelda said. Luckily that wasn't to hard, just a matter of finding the sources of the water streams. One of them was in the hallway we had to take to get to the room. The other one was a little trickier, as it was in the hallway we had taken to the room with the key and the slimes in it. When both of them were shut off, we hurried back down to the water-filled room.

Zelda had been exactly right. Without the water flow, the pool had emptied leaving only clumps of questionable gunk and a chest like the ones we had seen before. Touching as little of the soaked chest as I could, I opened it up to find another key. "Only one thing to do with this," I said, and Zelda nodded. We went back to the center room and unlocked the other door. As soon as we went through it, I could tell we were in trouble. The small room we were in was filled with spiderwebs. Not cobwebs, mind you. Those are little strands of spider silk that get caught on your face. No, these were massive webs that said this place had had a spider problem for a long, long time.

Through the tangled mess, we could see another door, thankfully without a lock on it. We cut through the webs and lifted the door up stepping into a dim room. As soon as the door fell closed behind us, I heard the shrill sound of metal sliding against stone. We looked back to the door was covered in a thick grate that was definitely not going to let us out without a hell of a fight. Fortunately, before we had to stumble around in the dark, a series of what looked like torches ignited around the room, giving us plenty of light. Unfortunately, that light showed us exactly what we were dealing with. Which, to be fair, did explain the webs that were everywhere in the room.

There was a skulltula in the room. However, this one wasn't like the ones we had seen before. This one was the size of a small bus. Eight wicked sharp legs extended from its bulbous body, which was decaled with a massive, terrifying looking skull. At least eight eyes adorned it face and fangs the size of my sword hung down from its slavering mouth. The thing chittered slightly, likely stunned from the sudden light. Unfortunately, it didn't take long for it to realize that there was a prime source of food standing in shock right in front of it in the form of a hero and goddess in the making. I only barely managed to shove Zelda aside before jumping and kicking my boot into one of its eyes. It screeched in pain, giving me enough time to see Zelda had gotten stuck in one of the massive webs when I shoved her.

"Don't move around, you'll just tangle yourself worse or attract its attention," I yelled to the repulsed, borderline catatonic girl. "Let me kill it and then I'll cut you down." Zelda meekly nodded her head and I refocused on the behemoth in front of me, which had shaken off its pain and was looking torepay in full.

Honestly, I don't remember much of the fight. It was a mess of black blood, dripping fangs, sword flashes, swinging legs, and dodging. Lots of dodging. Luckily, this beast had the same weak point as its smaller counterpart I had fought earlier: its abdomen didn't have the same carapace the rest of it had. It took longer, but I finally managed to deal enough internal damage to the spider to get it to stop moving. With one final jump and thrust, I jammed my sword into a weak point in the monster's neck, thoroughly killing it.

Suitably tired after fighting the equivalent of a large truck, I made my way over to where Zelda was still trapped in the creature's webs. As soon as I cut her down, she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight. Through a combination of exhaustion and surprise, I didn't even care that she was still largely covered in webs and getting them all over me too.

"Thank Nayru, Din, and Farore you're all right." I just relaxed into her fierce embrace, too tired to really do anything but stand there. I was just glad I made it out of the fight with only a few scratches and scrapes, instead of, you know, a hole in my chest or getting turned into mulch.

Zelda slowly pulled herself together, seeming to realize that I was dead tired and we were both covered in spider webs. We detangled ourselves as best we could, with liberal use of my sword. Once we were free of each other, we noticed there was a chest along one of the walls in the room, much bigger than any of the other ones we had seen. Another few minutes of work and we were able to pry the chest open.

Inside was something much more fitting of a treasure chest. An exquisitely decorated rod sat inside. At about two and a half feet long, it was too short to be a staff. Intricate carvings ran up and down the length of the rod, leaving it decorated but not overburdened with detail. On the top, there was a glowing sphere that looked a lot like a Fire's Ember, only the 'ember' inside looked a lot more like a small fire burning instead.

"What do you think this is?" I asked Zelda.

"I don't know," she said quietly, seemingly entranced by the contained flame. "But if this place was set up intentionally, then it must be important."

"I suppose so," I said as I grabbed the rod. As I pulled it from the chest, I felt a peculiar tingling in my hand and chest. Kind of like when your arm goes all tingly. Hoping to get rid of the feeling, I waved my arm around a little, swinging the rod at the same time. Small sparks burst from the Fire's Ember on the end and crackled lightly on the air. Zelda and I looked at the sparks in surprise as they popped and spit before going out.

"What in Nayru's name was that?" I asked. I waved the rod around, trying to get it to replicate the sparks, with no luck.

"Here, let me try," Zelda said, taking it from me before I hit her in the head. She tried the same thing, again with no luck. She reluctantly handed the stick back to me.

"Did you feel that when you grabbed it?" She looked confused. "A weird tingling in your hand?" Zelda shook her head, looking dismayed and frustrated.

"Lot of good I am. No weapon, getting caught in webs, useless. I couldn't help but feel angry at Zelda's assessment of herself.

"You're not useless Zelda. You helped me with the water puzzle and you're incredibly smart. You just haven't gotten a chance to show that off." I was getting more and more angry the more I thought about Zelda thinking she was useless. As I spoke, her eyes were getting bigger and bigger. I was about to keep going when she interrupted.

"Link, look," she said, pointing to my hand still clutching the rod we found. I looked down to see the head shooting off small sparks. As I stared in surprise, the sparks started to stop. I managed to bring them back with a little focus on my anger. The head burst with color and flame. I waved it at the remaining webs and an arc of fire washed over them. A quick jab sent a fireball flying forward to slam into the wall and splash out.

"I guess anger is the key to making it work," I wondered. Zelda grabbed the rod out of my hand and tried to replicate my feat. After a minute of nothing happening, she dropped her arm and pushed the rod back into my hands. As she walked past me towards the door, I heard her mutter 'Can't even do magic. Some goddess," before hauling the door open herself and striding out, letting it slam down behind her.

It cut me more than any blade.

* * *

I tentatively walked after the downtrodden girl back to the large central room. I wanted to give her space if she needed it, but didn't want to leave her open to attack. We were still in a dangerous underground labyrinth.

I found Zelda standing in the central room looking at the wall of vines covering the third door on this floor. I was trying to figure out a way to cheer her up when she spoke up.

"I bet we can burn these. They can't grow back if they're ash." I could hear some venom in her voice, but I figured directed at the vine wall was better than directed at me. Raising the Fire Rod (seemed like an apt name), I found I could summon up the flame just by focusing. It took a little more out of me, something I hadn't noticed while I was testing it out. Must have been the excitement and leftover adrenaline. I thrust the charges rod towards the bramble.

Sure enough, the branches burst into flames and crackled away. It wasn't two minutes before the only thing left was ash, leaving the path to the door clear. We went through to find another small-ish room. As soon as the door slammed shut, another grate dropped down, trapping us inside. We looked around for a puzzle or something when more of the slimes from earlier dropped from the ceiling. Fortunately, they focused on merging together instead of eating us, so we had a second or two to realize we were screwed.

"Great, how are we found to get out of this? I cut these things apart and they just squish back together," I said as we strafed around the now bigger blobs, trying to stay as far away as possible.

"Well, we have a magic fire stick now, try that. Not like we have a lot of options," Zelda said from beside me. I focused on the fire and sent a small burst out towards the massive pile of slime.

As soon as the fireball hit, the slimes burst apart, shooting off in a couple directions. As luck would have it, one of them hit the wall right next to us and immediately jumped towards us. Acting on instinct, I swing the Rod around and blasted the slime in the air. A concentrated stream of flame made the blob melt away just before it hit me. We waited for a second to see if it would reform. When it didn't, I swung the rod to target the other blobs, which were slowly making their way back towards each other.

"I guess we figured out how to kill them," I said cheerily as I incinerated another slime. I could hear Zelda chuckling behind me as I finished off the last slime blob. Unfortunately, killing all the blobs had taken a considerable amount of energy, and as soon as I cut off the flame I had to drop to a knee to keep from falling over entirely. I waved Zelda off. It was nice that she was concerned, but I didn't need to be doted on all the time.

As I crouched there, I hear a shimmering noise from my right. Against the wall, another small chest was fading into view. " _Neat trick. Wish I could magically disappear."_ I pushed myself back to my feet. I seemed to be able to recover quickly, I just had to take a minute.

Z elda opened the chest and gave the contents a weird look. She pulled out what looked like a purple crystal of some sort. "Do you know what this is, Link?" she asked. I didn't know, but her tone indicated she certainly did and was excited about it. "It's an actual rupee, like they used before we switched to paper currency. You can still find these, but they're pretty rare at this point. Kind of like a two-rupee bill. This thing must have been here for ages." I moved to stand beside her.

"Well, the massive spider infestation certainly would suggest you're right." I reached over her shoulder to heft the gem. It was surprisingly light for the size of it. "Is it still worth anything?" Zelda shrugged.

"Sure, we'd just have to take it to a bank probably. I doubt a lot of people would accept it as payment."

"Sweet," I stuck it in one of my pockets. "Now we know how to kill these slimes and we're fifty bucks richer. Oh, and we have a magic fire stick." I paused as I realized something. "And with said magic stick, we can get through that other mess of branches upstairs." The two of us hurried back up the central staircase and torched the other vine wall. The room on the other side of the door had a few more skulltulas, but, as luck would have it, they really didn't like fire either. With one swing of the Fire Rod, they all caught fire and practically disintegrated on the spot.

A door on the right led to a small room with another rupee chest, a deep red twenty this time. The other hall led through a small winding corridor full of sharp turns. Of course, it was full of spiders and slimes as well, and because of the close quarters, I couldn't really use the Fire Rod without torching myself. As I found out.

Thankfully, the passageway didn't go for too long before opening up into a small alcove with an enormous chest in it. Adorned with spikes and skulls, I had a bad feeling about what was inside. This time, I was proven wrong, as all that was in the chest was a similarly adorned key, much larger than the other keys we had found so far.

"Must go to the enormous door in the basement," I mused, and Zelda agreed. We cautiously made our way back through the narrow passageway and back down the dozens of stairs before stopping in front of the ominous door. "Here goes nothing," I said before sliding the large key into place. One mighty twist later, the lock unlatched and sunk into the door, which then rose up into the ceiling, leaving only darkness in front of us. I summoned up a small flame on the end of the Fire Rod, hoping to pierce the darkness even slightly. Almost immediately, a strong gust of wind pushed out of the unsealed room, causing the flame to gutter and flicker. After a moment, the wind stopped, and the darkness loomed in front of us. After a brief look, we stepped forward and heard the door slide closed behind us.

* * *

 _So, hey guys...been a few days...sorry 'bout that. Truth is, I've been at work. Like, a lot. Days off have been few and far between, and there's been anime and movies to watch. Not even good movies either. Had a sudden craving for the Transformers movies. The occasional incoherence of what happens in those can be really funny._

 _Anyway, second half of the dungeoning here. To everyone wondering if there was still going to be relationshipping during the dungeons, I hope this has cleared that up for you. Things are moving steadily apace._

 _On to the reviewings! Nightwing, you're welcome. I love to have some dialogue with you guys. Is it wrong that I enjoy that I've pinpointed the exact monster that freaks you out a bit? Probably. I actually thought of putting a little warning at the beginning about the spiders, but decided against it. Sorry 'bout that. Maya, YES! DEATH! Wait, no, repress your psychosis, Aro. Bad Aro. If you want something really good for killing indiscriminately, I'd look at the new Doom game that came out in 2016. If you have a machine that can run it well, I highly recommend it. Virtual shotguns are fun. Careful with that husband of yours. Sand Seal, please see below, you get something special. Imnotraven, not sure how to abbreviate your name, so we're going with the whole thing. Thanks for the good word. I'll get the sketches and stuff up eventually, I realized I'll have to be careful with how I do that so I avoid spoilers. But I'll get them up at some point._

 _So, Sand Seal. What do I say to you? Let's try, 'Holy shit man.' First, the seal puns. I acknowledge them. You did them. Let's move on. Glad you like the story. I've noticed that a lot of stories will ignore the dungeons too. A bit of a shame, but I understand why they do it. I don't really like writing them, and they take a lot of effort to put together. But they're essential, so here they stay. Yes, a villain will appear, but not for a while yet. Got to let the mystery lurk around for a while. I love writing the comments at the end, so I'm glad you enjoy them. That applies to everyone else reading this too. You're all great. Also, you're not the only one who makes their family think their crazy... Goddess power...I can't talk about right now. And don't worry, this story will continue, no matter what. I have put too much work into this thing to leave it dead in the water._

 _Woo, that was a good bit of text. For those of you who don't know (likely most of you), a sand seal left a long-ass review for me, so I decided to respond in kind. I am willing to do this again, so if you leave a nice big review, you too can have a massive response instead of just a few sentences. Just something to keep in mind._

 _Since this isn't long enough yet, quick note on disclaimers. I've been reading another story recently, and they always say at the top that they are, surprisingly enough, not Nintendo and don't own Zelda. Surprising, I know. I wonder at the need for such statements, since this is, you know, a fanfiction website. Fanfiction. Fiction, by fans. Should be self explanatory._

 _There, now this is long enough. Next chapter, BOSS BATTLE. Gonna be good, I hope it's not boring, I tried hard. Hope you enjoyed this massive note, I've got things to do. What things you ask? Enthusiastic walks through the woods. If you get it, let me know. Cheers._

 _-Aro_


	13. Chapter 13

The door hit the ground with a resounding thud, leaving me and Zelda alone in a featureless expanse of darkness. We took cautious steps forward until we tripped some invisible boundary, causing crystals all along the wall to light up, revealing that we were in a massive circular room, even larger than the ones upstairs. The crystals were bright enough to illuminate almost the entire room but weren't piercing after the all-encompassing darkness. The crystals also revealed hundreds upon hundreds of the small slimes we had encountered earlier. As one, they seemed to react to our sudden intrusion and all moved towards the center of the room.

Because the light didn't quite reach the room's middle, we couldn't immediately see what was happening. We could just hear a lot of squishing. Eventually, though, a massive pile of slime moved out of the darkness. No sooner than it had though did it seem to form four thick legs, three arms, and a massive head. Even though it didn't have any vocal chords as far as I could tell, though I'm not a beastly slime monster expert, it gave a loud roar before swinging one of its arms at us.

"Oh, shit, RUN!" I yelled frantically, pushing Zelda one way and throwing myself in the other direction. I only just barely got out of the way of the arm before it came crashing down. We hadn't gotten caught by any of the other slimes in the labyrinth, but I knew what would happen if this one hit us. Pancake wouldn't begin to describe it. "Zelda, stay ahead of it! I'm going to try the Fire Rod on it!"

"Naturally, Link! I'd rather not get crushed by the enormous slime monster! And is that really…" I heard her grunt as she jumped out of the way of another arm. "Is that really what you called that thing? A little on the nose, don't you think?!" I ducked under another swing as I summoned up the fire.

"Occam's Razor hasn't failed me yet!" I fired off a tremendous blast at one of the legs, which promptly exploded into gooey blobs and caused the 'body' of the thing to sink down slightly before it formed another leg to catch itself. The bits I blasted off melted away into nothingness. _"At least I don't have to worry about it pulling itself back together,"_ I thought in relief as I fired off another shot at the slime beast, this time at an arm that was swinging towards Zelda. Thank goodness most of the monster evaporated on the spot, or else Zelda would have been covered in monster slime in addition to skulltula webs. I think I'd rather let the monster kill me than have to face that.

I let loose another few rounds, steadily reducing the mammoth's mass and making it sink closer and closer to the ground. Eventually, the head got low enough that I could not only see a darker core inside it, but I could reach it if I jumped. I ran past Zelda and tossed her the Fire Rod, drawing my sword as I turned to run straight at the goo colossus. It brought a heavy arm down to crush me, but I dodged to the side, bouncing back to jump off the giant's…skin? Shell? Whatever it was, it was springy enough to easily get me enough height to clear the beast's head and sink my sword into the thing's core on the way back down. Thankfully I was able to slide down the blob as it pulled its arms and legs back into its central mass and land without breaking my legs.

"Think that did it?" I turned to ask Zelda, who was still looking at the blob as it writhed.

"No, look, it's not dissolving. It's not finished yet."

Sure enough the blob reformed, but this time sprouted about a dozen smaller appendages that it snapped out like tentacles towards us. Luckily, these didn't have nearly as much force behind them, otherwise we would have been toast. The tentacles were also easy to cut through, but with so many of them, I was having a much harder time finding a time to launch a fireball at the massive slime. I was running out of energy too, both physically and magically.

Briefly seeing an opening, I fired a quick shot off, enough to make the thing burst apart somewhat, barely revealing its core. The tentacle arms also were sucked back into the thing, leaving me free to hack at the solid core for a few seconds. I was just barely able to get away when the thing started to reform.

"At least we know how to kill it," I muttered, running away from the monster to hopefully get a little breathing room. Zelda was able to distract the thing, managing to dodge around its attacks with amazing agility. It gave me another chance to blast the thing open and take another few slices at the monster's center. I mistimed my retreat though, and the creature smacked me across the chest. I was pretty sure I heard something snap and then I was flying across the room before landing and rolling across the floor. Which hurt like absolute hell.

I desperately tried to get back to my feet, only to be stopped by another lash from the blob's tentacles. The blow only doubled my pain and sent me sprawling on the floor. Given no opportunity to recover, I was helpless before the unrelenting assault. I had dropped the Fire Rod and only had my sword left to try to defend myself with, which wasn't going that well. All I could do was sit and hope I didn't die.

Right before what I could tell was going to be a particularly brutal hit, likely one to break another of my ribs, there were two twin blasts of light from the side of the room. One was coming from a positively legendary blast of flame and heat that hit the slime creature dead on.

But it was the other light that was truly breathtaking.

Zelda was shining with a radiance that I could only compare to the sun, though softer so you could actually stand to look at it. In fact, the light surrounding her seemed to draw your eyes to it, inviting you to stare at the being at its center.

Zelda's hair was fluttering around her softly, dancing around her arms and the Fire Rod that she had pointed towards me and the slime monster. Her clothes too looked cleaner and brighter, both having no evidence of the hours of filth we had been accumulating. Her face though, was terrifying. Her brows were drawn down, and her mouth twisted into a snarl, turning her whole visage into a mask of rage. But most of all, her eyes glowed with a light that promised infinite pain and destruction to anyone who crossed her. And at the moment, that gaze was locked on the blob that had been railing on me.

With a harsh cry, Zelda thrust the Fire Rod out and towards the monster again. Another gigantic stream of raw fire blasted out of the Rod and hit the creature dead on, instantly evaporating most of its body. Only the core and a small amount of gelatinous mass remained. Seeing an opportunity and forcing myself past my pain, I pushed myself off the floor and fell on the thing's core, impaling it on my sword. The remaining slime writhed for a moment before going limp and melting away. The core burst apart into light with a satisfying shattering sound. I saw the remaining fragments fly to the center of the room right before I passed out.

When I came to, I was relieved that I felt significantly less pain, and the little bit remaining was quickly fading. I forced my eyes open and saw Zelda crouched over me.

"When the monster died, another one of those heart things appeared. It looked a little different, but since the last one healed you, I figured this one would do the same." She sat back on the ground with a huff. "Looks like I was right." I could see her eyes dropping and she was starting to slump over. I managed to pull myself upright just before Zelda tipped sideways, lowering her upper body into my lap.

I stared down at the beautiful girl I was holding. She had stopped glowing with what I could only assume were her goddess powers, and her skin and hair showed no evidence of traipsing around a messy sewer labyrinth, getting splashed with dirty, mucky water, and being covered in spiderwebs. Her clothes were a different matter, but she looked far better than she had or how I probably looked.

"Zelda, Zelda…" I shook her shoulder lightly, trying to wake her up. It took a few seconds, but slowly her bright eyes opened before scrunching in confusion.

"Link? What happened?"

"You tell me. I thought you couldn't use the Fire Rod, but you started glowing and basically disintegrated the slime monster in one shot. I managed to kill it, passed out, you apparently healed me with another magic heart crystal, and then passed out yourself."

"Right, right, I just felt really tired all of a sudden. I think I'm all right now though." I helped pull her to her feet, keeping a grip on her arm in case she fell over suddenly. Her knees buckled a little, but she was able to catch herself. I only let go of her arm when I was sure she wasn't going to fall on her face.

"You're sure you're alright? You were glowing." Zelda scrunched her brow down, looking troubled. "What in the world sparked that outburst?"

"I…I don't really know. I just didn't want that creature to hurt you anymore. I heard what I thought was one of your ribs breaking and just…snapped." She looked down at her hands with a mixture of awe and fear. "Even now, I can feel that…energy…I guess it was magic…just under the surface." Her hands started glowing lightly, before she shook them, like that was going to make them stop. Zelda's next words came out hoarsely, eyes wide with fear. "What's happening to me?"

"Hey," I said as I grabbed her hands. She started away, like she was scared she was going to burn me. She didn't, fortunately. "Look, I don't know what's going on, but Headmaster Rauru said you were the Goddess reincarnated. Just like I'm the Hero. We're in this together. And I'm going to be here for you no matter what happens. Don't think you're the only one who's scared. Half the time when I'm fighting, I don't even know what I'm doing. Like that flip on the spider I did earlier, I don't know how I did that. My body moved before I could think. Because I knew you were in danger, and I wasn't going to let anything happen to you. So, whatever this is, whatever powers you have, no matter what happens, we'll get through this. You'll be okay. I promise." Zelda nodded, tears in her eyes, before embracing me tightly with a quiet sob. Her shoulders trembled quietly as she cried into my shoulder. I tried to comfort her as best I could. Cremia had never cried in my arms, so I wasn't really sure what to do.

"I'm just so scared," the girl in my arms choked out, voice thick with emotion.

"I know. I am too. But we'll be okay." And I prayed to every god and goddess I could think of that I was right.

* * *

Zelda and I stood there for a few minutes like that. I let her stand there in my arms. With anyone else, I would have been uncomfortable, but with Zelda it was alright. I knew the struggle she was experiencing, and I knew how jarring it could be. Eventually, she calmed down and pulled away.

"Thank you," she said, wiping her eyes. "It was just a lot to take in. I didn't really believe Rauru I guess."

"I can hardly blame you. I barely believed that I was a reborn hero." We smiled at each other for a moment before I caught something out of the corner of my eye. "That wasn't there before," I said, pointing at the pedestal that had appeared in the middle of the room.

Zelda and I cautiously approached the pedestal, but it didn't feel like there was a trap waiting for us. Sure enough, as we approached, no monsters or sawblades or anything like that popped out. We looked down at what was resting on the pedestal in surprise.

On top of the stone dais was a shield. The metal was a deep blue and polished to a shine. The crest of Hyrule was stamped on the front, though it was an older version than the one that was used as the country's crest. A raised edge framing the red bird and the Triforce added an impression of strength. Perhaps most impressively of all though was its condition. The shield looked immaculate, as though it was brand new, though it must have been here for hundreds of years at the least.

I reached out and lifted it with reverence, scared to mar the cleanliness of the shield. I shouldn't have been worried though, since none of the dirt, mud, and gunk I was covered with seemed to stick to it, instead just sliding off. Zelda reached out to touch it too. I thought I heard a faint ringing as she pressed her palm to the cool metal.

"This shield is old. I can sense magic in it that is…ancient. The magic itself is tied into the metal at a molecular level. This shield was forged with magic." Zelda seemed to shake herself out of a daze and took her hand off the shield. "I don't think this shield could ever be dented, much less broken. It's ridiculously strong." I flipped the shield over and saw the back was fixed with leather straps.

It was easy to slip my arm into the straps and tighten it. The straps were snug and the weight on my arm was satisfying. Just like that, I knew this shield was going to work well for me.

"I guess this is what this place was guarding? It's not like there's a lot left in here." I turned to face Zelda. "Ready to get out of here?"

* * *

 _Alright then! Another chapter down, only...a lot more to go. Honestly just going to write until I'm satisfied. And then I'll write something else. Forever. Until I die. The end._

 _In any case, here you go, there you go, now go away. No, wait, forgot the reviews. Shit. I mean...uh...reviews!_

 _Sand Seal, yeah, seal puns. Still putting them in, I see. Well, to each their own. I appreciate you keeping it a little shorter. Not for my sake, for everyone else's. They got jealous. Yeah, I'm a bit mean to Zelda, but such things happen. I mean, did you think things were going to be easy for them? Dungeon item spam usually works, so I can only approve. Shadow, good guess...I suppose. At least you're honest with yourself. Nightwing, NOPE! Totally wrong. I can't have both the mini-boss and the boss be spiders. That'd be boring. Your assessment of the equipment is correct, plus a shield now. Link is indeed a total badass, and will only continue to become more badass as the story continues. As far as the kidnapping goes, now that you mention it...nah, she won't. Foopuff, yeah, cringe in inevitable when you're making a work of fiction. That's my opinion at least. Glad you like the characters and my homages to the series. I incorporate as much as I can, since I really want this to feel like it could happen in universe. That anon guy, glad you like it! Maybe get some sleep, but whatever, it's up to you. I appreciate the enthusiasm at any rate. Ultimate, or she just needs to get pissed/protective. Dbzgtfan, I guess since you asked so nicely, I'll keep writing. And fear not, the Zelink will continue!_

 _Dang, a lot of you this time. Not that I'm complaining, of course. I'm curious how many of you read all of this, so, if you feel like leaving a review (which I highly recommend), let me know. I also want to know what you thought of the dungeon overall. I don't think I did a bad job, but, as the author, my opinion is slightly biased. So let me know what you thought and I'll see you next time._

 _-Aro_


	14. Chapter 14

Zelda and I had emerged from the labyrinth in the early evening. Turns out time flies when you're crawling through dank passageways and fighting demon spiders.

Zelda and I split up to go to our own houses to get changed and, in my case, showered. I walked into the house to see Hunter sitting in the living room. He turned to face me and seemed to ponder my disheveled appearance for a moment, before walking over to me and taking the shield we had found from me.

"Go get cleaned up. We need to talk." To say I was confused would be an apt description, but I was too worn out at the moment to really care, so I did as Hunter said and took a shower. But first, I texted Zelda and let her know something was up.

Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in the living room with Hunter and Sheik when Zelda knocked on the door and came in to join us.

"Well, now that we're all here, let's get down to business." Hunter started once Zelda was sitting. "I presume you two have found the Trial Dungeon beneath the fountain in the park?"

"How do you know about that?" I said with a start. Obviously Hunter knew something, but I didn't realize it was about the torture house we had just been struggling through.

"Simple, I'm its guardian, responsible for keeping its location hidden from any who would try to steal the treasure it contains and for guiding the Hero when he appears." Okay, bit much to take in there. Sheik was the first to recover.

"What the hell, Dad? When did all this happen? Since when are you some guardian?" To be honest, Hunter looked kind of pissed.

"Come on Sheik, what do you think all your training has been for? I've taught you since you could walk that the Sheikah are guardians of Hyrule, and we are Sheikah if nothing else. I've been the guardian of the Trial since my father handed the position down to me, as his mother did to him, and her father before her, back through countless generations, all waiting for this moment." At this, he pointed to me. "To aid the hero in his quest."

"Okay," Sheik said slowly. "But is it really Link? I mean, we've grown up together and, take we much offense as you want here, he's never been much for heroics." He shot me a wiry grin. At least one of us wasn't completely serious.

Hunter grinned slightly. "Be that as it may, the fact that he has this shield is proof enough. Only the Hero is able to get through the barrier guarding the Trial easily, and," he looked at Zelda, "apparently anyone he brings in with him. Anyone else would have had to brute force their way through, which I would certainly have noticed. Plus, you've both come back alive, which alone is a testament to your skills. At this point, even if you're not the new Hero, I'd damn well say you deserve to be."

"So what now?" I asked, itching to be doing something. Even after such a grueling experience, I was reluctant to sit still for so long. "What are we supposed to do next? Visit the other two fountains? There's three, right? So there's going to be two more Trials beneath them."

"Yes, yes, and yes," Hunter replied. "The three Trials are in place to guard the tools of the Hero, one of which you've already found: The Hylian Shield, passed down through the ages, lost and found countless times, always ending up in the Hero's hands, and nigh indestructible to boot." Hunter could probably see my budding question, because he cut me off before I could ask. "I'm not going to tell you what the other Trials guard, you'll have to find out yourself. Besides, where's the fun in that?"

"What about Zelda?" Hunter looked confused at my question.

"What about her? No offense Zelda, but I'm not sure how you factor into this."

"You don't know? Zelda is apparently a reincarnation of…some ancient goddess…"

"Hylia," Zelda supplied, summoning a small amount of golden magic to dance across her arm. I nodded and continued.

"Reincarnation of Hylia, she inherited at least some of her powers. Headmaster Rauru knew about it, why don't you?"

"Headmaster Rauru? What does he have to do with this?" Hunter was still confused.

"He said his family records the Legends of the past heroes and stuff. He knows all sorts of stuff. Said he wouldn't help me though. Something about interfering makes things worse. He really wouldn't talk much about it and hasn't said anything else since. Seems determined to let me…us, I guess, figure it out ourselves." Hunter was nodding slowly.

"The Sheikah have known about a group of people obersving… well _another_ group observing from the shadows for ages. They've never been malicious, so we haven't taken any serious action against them. I'll have to have a talk with your Headmaster. But you said Zelda is Hylia reincarnated?" Zelda and I nodded in affirmation. "I know the name from the most ancient of our texts, but only in passing. I didn't know she was a goddess, or really anything about her. I'll have to look into it." We lapsed into silence as we all digested the information.

"Okay, so Zelda is Hylia reincarnated and I'm the Hero reborn. Apparently there's some big evil coming that I and or we have to defeat any idea about that? What it could be?" Hunter shook his head.

"No, though we've noted the signs. Since Hyrule has such a strong connection with the gods, specifically the Three Golden Goddesses, when evil rises in the land, Hyrule itself is often thrown into chaos. Weather abnormalities, civil unrest, and even political upheaval are not uncommon in such times. There is something coming, and we're going to need to stop it. Of course, you two have my full support, as well of that of the entire Sheikah tribe scattered and few as we may be. If you ever need help on your journey, look for the Eye of the Sheikah. If you tell them who you are, they will aid you, as they have sworn to do in ages past." Hunter suddenly rose to his feet and moved towards the basement. "Now, I have something I need to get. I'll be right back." He disappeared from view as he descended the stairs.

Leaving me, Zelda, and Sheik to sit awkwardly in the living room. Sheik, though being a Sheikah and trained in magic, apparently hadn't known everything, since he looked just as stunned as us. He was the first to speak.

"So, Zelda, you're a goddess?" Zelda huffed slightly, but nodded. Sheik seemed to think for a minute before nodding much like his father had. "Makes sense now, I suppose." Seeing us looking confused, he elaborated. "When I first met you, I sensed something different about you. Didn't know what it could be, but that makes sense now. Also…" he trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows at me as a slow grin split across his face. Nothing good happened when he had that face on. "Now your reaction makes a lot more sense, Link. Now I get why-" He was cut off as I launched myself across the room at him.

Thank the gods I was able to shut him up before he could say anything. I tackled him out of his chair and we went sprawling to the floor. Wolf, who I had completely forgotten about, came bounding in from somewhere and jumped on top of us, causing us both to groan at the sudden weight. Between the shoving and trying to get the dog off of us, I was able to make it very clear to Sheik what would happen if he was to try anything like that again. Threats we both knew I was very capable of carrying out.

Hunter came back up the stairs and saw us all in a pile. I think he rolled his eyes, but I didn't get a great look because Wolf decided my back needed a chiropractic adjustment. Eventually we were all ushered outside. I noticed Hunter was also holding something, probably whatever he pulled up from the basement. Sheik was bounding around the yard with the dog, leaving Hunter, Zelda, and I to talk.

"This is an old relic of the Sheikah, once said to have aided another Hero in his journey." Hunter handed me what looked like a tablet made of a mishmash of stone and cool blue technology. It was unlike any cell phone or tablet I had ever seen. "It's a piece of ancient Sheikah technology that is thousands upon thousands of years old. As far as I know, this is the only still functional piece of that tech, which is unfortunate, since our records say it was capable of amazing things." Zelda pulled the tablet from my hands to get a closer look at it.

"What does it do?" she asked, a question I was hoping for an answer to as well.

"In this past, quite a bit. Now that the old Sheikah technology has disappeared though, I'm afraid it has lost many of its features over time. However, there is one thing it is still able to do, which is why I'm giving it to you." Hunter gestured us towards the driveway.

"Zelda, there should be a little icon on the screen. Press that and point the slate at the driveway." I looked over her shoulder that there was indeed a small tile on the screen. She pressed it and we were amazed to see the entire tablet unravel into swirling blue threads before weaving back together on the driveway, though in a completely different way. It was hard to tell what it was at first, but as the threads tied themselves back together, it was unmistakable.

Sitting in front of us was the most badass motorcycle I'd ever seen.

The whole thing was styled in the general shape of a horse. The front had a very distinct horse head with a sharp horn protruding from the head. The "ribs" of the horse housed the engine, though it didn't look like any engine I'd ever seen. The whole thing was a mix of browns, blue, and orange that matched the colors that had been on the tablet. The lights running through the bike pulsed, making it look like the vehicle was alive. The whole thing seemed to hum, as if it was barely holding back an enormous amount of power.

I slowly approached the magnificent machine, holding my hands out like it was a horse about to bolt. I looked at Hunter quickly, who nodded for me to continue. He had a bit of a smirk on his face, probably due to my reaction to the bike, but I didn't care. This was one of the most amazing, most beautiful sights I had ever seen.

With another step forward, I could finally run my hands over the 'head' of the bike. What had originally looked like stone really felt more like cool, rough metal. As I ran my hands down the side, the lights in the motorcycle seemed to glow a little brighter. I reached the handlebars and gingerly lifted myself into the seat. As I sat down, the bike revved louder, and I could actually feel the seat adjust to be more comfortable for me.

"What in the Dark Realms is this?"

"That," Hunter said with a laugh, "is the Master Cycle Zero. The device it is summoned with is called the Sheikah Slate. Both are treasures that were owned by a previous Hero and safeguarded by the Sheikah for centuries after he died. I thought it fitting that you should have it. According to our records, it is able to modify itself slightly to be better in tune with the user's will." I quickly thought of the colors being darker and they immediately shifted from browns to greys. The head also warped from a horse head to what looked like a wolf, the whole bike becoming slightly sleeker to better match a wolf's shape.

"Is it…." I trailed off, not wanting to get my hopes up.

"Yep," Hunter said with a wide smile. "All yours, Link." I let out a whoop, kicked the bike into gear, and drove it out of the driveway. Of course, what did I do first? I gunned it.

The bike roared off, amazing me with its speed and power. I turned a corner and found I was easily able to control the vehicle. It was a lot like riding a horse actually, something I had plenty of experience with thanks to Cremia. I did a quick lap of the neighborhood before pulling back into the driveway.

"That's incredible," Zelda said. Hunter nodded.

"It's a versatile machine, which is why I thought you could make use of it on your journey-quest-thing. I didn't know there would be two of you going though…Not sure what you're going to do about that…." I winced slightly at his musings. I wasn't sure exactly who was going to be going on this journey.

"Here, Zelda, get on, I want to try something." I called from my seat. Zelda came over somewhat hesitantly. I revved the engine as she got close causing her to jump in surprise before fixing me with a stern glare and slapping me on the shoulder. She threw her leg over the seat behind me and I felt the bike adjust again, this time creating a second seat behind me to accommodate the second person. Hunter shrugged.

"I guess that works." Sheik, who had somehow managed to stay away this long, ran over and started inspecting the bike from about two inches away.

"Pretty sick bike, Link. Hey Dad, you got another one of these around here for me? I bet with a bike like this, all the girls would be falling over themselves to get to me. How many do you think it fits?" He quickly mounted the bike behind Zelda but slid off the back when no third seat appeared to hold him. "Aww, come on, what kind of shit is that?"

"It's a bike, Sheik, not a stretch limo," I called to him. I twisted slightly in my seat to look at Zelda over my shoulder. "Want to try it out?"

She nodded slowly. "Sure, but go slow. I've never ridden on one of these." I scoffed slightly.

"What, and you think I have?"

"Well, with how you were handling it earlier…wait, WHAT?!" she practically shrieked into my ear as I gave the machine a bit of gas and pulled out of the driveway. As soon as we hit the road, Zelda's arms came around my sides and clamped down on my waist. Laughing with delight, I took another lap around the block.

By the time I pulled into the driveway, Zelda had relaxed, at least somewhat. I don't think she was entirely comfortable on the Master Cycle though.

The two of us got off the bike. Zelda seemed rather grateful, but I was disappointed to have to stop so soon. Something about a motorcycle is just so damn cool. Hunter walked over with what looked like a few old cans and some of Wolf's torn up chew toys.

"That," I said, half breathless from the rush, "is too damn awesome. What are those for?" I asked, pointing to the contents of Hunter's arms.

"This is the fuel for the bike. It can use pretty much anything for fuel, 'Back to the Future' style. Hit the tank meter on the display." I did, and the seat slid open, revealing the glowing inside of the engine. Hunter dropped the cans and toys in, which immediately seemed to disappear/disintegrate. The hatch slid closed and I saw that the tank meter had indeed gone up.

"That's useful," Zelda said. "Especially since there's no way we'd be able to find anything resembling the fuel the ancient Sheikah used." I nodded, it really was convenient. I saw another icon on the display on the Master Cycle and tapped it, hoping it would do what I thought. Sure enough, the bike evaporated back into glowing blue energy and reconfigured itself back into a tablet, conveniently returning to my hand.

"What in the name of literally anything is going on with that?" We turned to see Shade standing next to our car, looking extraordinarily bewildered. "Link, what was that?"

"Umm…Hunter?" I was floundering. Sure, Shade said he believed me that I was the Hero reborn but being confronted with that truth might not be as easy to take. I knew it wasn't for me. Hunter, ever the helpful one, was backing away slowly, very clearly leaving me to explain the situation. Sheik had also disappeared, for once in his life. Only Zelda had stayed where she was, but I couldn't very well make her explain what was going on. Sighing, I turned back to Shade, who was waiting expectantly. "Uh…I can explain?" Shade scoffed slightly.

"Yeah, you better. But first, I need a snack." He walked towards the house, following Hunter inside. I was relieved for a moment, before I remembered what we had left in the living room. I ran inside, Zelda close behind, to see Shade holding the Hylian Shield in front of him with the same confused expression in place. He saw me and slowly lowered the shield back onto the couch before sitting down himself. "Okay, let's maybe have that explanation first."

* * *

 _Okey doke, I guess it's time to put this up. I have both good news and bad news for the coming while. Good news first: because I've had a few days off work, I now have a good amount (read some) of story done. Bad news: those days off are over and I have to get back to becoming not broke. It should be fine, I just like to bitch to you guys. Updates will continue apace!_

 _As far as the actual chapter goes, this is one I've been wanting to write for a while now. Because MASTER CYCLE ZERO BABY! Since horses aren't really feasible in a modern setting (which this is, in case you didn't notice), I decided to go with one of the coolest bits of any Zelda game ever. 'Cause, you know, why the heck not? Anyone else think of 'Back to the Future' when refueling that thing. I sure do, as you may have noticed. Also, for all you Zelink people out there (which I assume is most of you), this is a great opportunity to get Link and Zelda some quality time together. Besides, motorcycles are romantic. Probably. I don't own one, I can't say for sure. But, we'll go with probably for the story!_

 _How about them reviews then? Shadowlord, I suppose that works, but I call it the Slime Behemoth. Big Ass Fucking Slime Ball was also a contender, but I decided against it. Nightwing, I suppose so. I'm going to try to keep the bosses in this all unique, so don't expect any/too many rehashes of bosses from the games. So glad you liked the reveal of Zelda's powers, we'll be seeing a lot more of them soon. And I'm so glad you're getting through your writer's block. As you know, its a bitch. Personally, I've found it can help to force yourself to write something else for a while, just to shuffle through ideas (results not guaranteed). Sand seal, I thank you for your continued enthusiasm. Don't worry, I won't be mean to her all the time. After all, everyone else has to have their round of tough knocks too. Really really happy to hear you like how I'm doing everything. Foopuff, glad you liked the dungeon and Zelda's role in the boss fight. I really tried to make that scene as impactful as possible. I would like to do it over, but that's for another time maybe. For her powers, she'll be able to use them more or less on command. However, if BotW has taught us anything, Zelda's powers do react to her emotions, so...we'll see. I've got a lot of good stuff planned. James, thanks for popping back in, nice to hear from you._

 _Alright, with that done, time to tease the next chapter. Nothing super high stakes, no fighting (or is there?), just a little transition from dungeon to the next bit. Should be out...Thursday? Something like that. So enjoy the wait and don't go kerplooie in the mean time. Cheers all!_

 _-Aro_


	15. Chapter 15

"Okay, let me get this straight," Shade said slowly. You'd think he was talking to a first grader. I mean, sometimes, sure, but usually I'm better than that. "You and Zelda fought your way through a weird, subterranean maze thing filled with demon spiders and living slime blobs, almost died half a dozen times, got a magic fire stick, killed a spider the size of a bus, found some centuries old money, and, to top it all off, Zelda blew up a…Slime Behemoth thing with her goddess magic, practically resurrected you with a magical Heart Crystal, and found an also magical, indestructible shield, which you will be taking on your quest to kill a reincarnation of evil atop a super old motorcycle that shapeshifts and turns into a tablet. Anything I missed?"

I scrolled through the last six hours and couldn't think of anything we missed. Zelda didn't bring anything up either. "No, I think that's about it." Shade didn't seem comforted.

"You know Link, high school grads usually spend the summer working, partying at night, getting laid, and drinking until they can't stand up." I shrugged. Honestly, an epic quest to save the world sounded like a lot more fun than that. Shade rolled his eyes and slumped back on the couch. "Seriously. Oh, and apparently our uncle and cousin are part of a super old secret order of guardians and know all about this stuff." He sighed again. "So, what's my role in all this? I am your twin, after all. What am I supposed to do?"

"I honestly don't know," I said. "No one has mentioned anything about another Hero or anything like that. As far as I can tell, its just the Hero and the Goddess. They get some help along the way, but I just don't know." My voice dropped to a lower, quieter tone. I knew this was going to go over poorly. "You might not have a role in all this. You might just be a bystander." Shade sat quietly, but I could tell he was seething.

"You're telling me that, while you're out there saving the world and fighting who knows what kind of evil, I have to sit here and just hope you come back? Are you insane, Link?! You're my goddess-damned brother, the one person who has had my back every day of my life, and you think I'm going to let you waltz out of here and go on some epic quest without me? You must have really gotten messed up in that dungeon, because what you are saying, Link, doesn't make any sense."

"Then what would you have me do?" I asked, my own anger rising. "How are you going to help me? This is something only I can do. Zelda is helping, but at the end of the day, I'm the one swinging the sword, I'm the one killing shit, and I'm going to be the one to kill this evil monster. Because if I do it this way, chances are everything works out. And don't think I don't know the risks," I quickly said, seeing the argument rise in Shade's eyes. "I know perfectly well what could happen. Headmaster Rauru told me what's happened in the past. Evil is always defeated, but the Hero doesn't always survive. I know that could happen to me. And I don't want to die. I certainly don't want to die before I hit seventy, much less twenty. But if that's the price to be paid to save thousands, millions of lives, how can I say no? How could I possibly sacrifice even one life to save my own? This is something I have to do."

"You fucking idiot." Shade was literally shaking with rage. "You fucking, goddess damned idiot. I'm not saying you run and hide. How could I ever say that? I've known you all your life, and you've never once turned your back on someone who needed help. There's no one better to save the world, because you'd never give up. Not if you were missing an arm and bleeding out on the floor. I'm not telling you to abandon this quest, I'm just asking you to let me help! I'm your brother, and as much as I hate you sometimes, I want to help you with this! And I know Zelda feels the same." I turned to look at Zelda, who was glaring fiercely at me.

"This entire time, I've been thinking it was obvious I was going with you. Are you telling me I was wrong?" Zelda was incredulous. I didn't blame her, but I was hoping to put this conversation off as long as possible.

"I'm going alone, guys." I could see that Zelda was about to say something, but I cut her off. "I don't want more people risking their lives than necessary. And as far as I can tell, that number is one. Zelda, I could barely protect you in that dungeon. Add anyone else, anyone who can't completely handle themselves in any situation, and that's someone else I have to protect. I can't take that risk."

"You think I'm helpless?" Now Zelda's fingers were twitching in anger, golden light flickering over her hands and up her arms. "Maybe before, but not now. I have this power now." She took a deep breath and I could see the steel in her eyes. "I'm a goddess reborn, and I will not let you run all over this country alone. I don't care what you say, what you think, or what you do, nothing will change the simple fact that I'm going with you." I wanted to argue with her, but I had seen the look in her eyes before. It was one that invited no argument and wouldn't be budged.

"Okay, okay, fine." To be honest, I was a little relieved Zelda would be coming with. Her magic would undoubtably be useful, especially once she learned to use it better. "I don't really think I can argue with that. But Shade," I turned back to point at him. "There's no way you're coming." He raised his hands in surrender.

"Not for the dangerous parts, but I can still help. You mentioned two other fountain-dungeons you had to go to? I'll go to one of them and scout it out. I don't need to do much Link," his voice dropped to be more serious, "but I have to do something. I'm not as selfless as you and I know I can be a bit of an ass, but I have to at least do something."

"Glad you could talk some sense into him," Hunter said from the doorway to the kitchen. "Really Link, did you seriously think you were going to do this alone? We may not be able to fight much, but not everything is solved through violence. You've got plenty of people here who are more than willing to help you, and frankly, you're going to need all the help you can get." Zelda, Shade, Hunter, and Sheik, who had reappeared at some point, all stared at me, awaiting my verdict. As if I actually had a choice in the matter. I exhaled heavily.

"Well, I'm clearly not winning this argument, so fine. Zelda's with me doing the dangerous shit and you three are reconnaissance slash informants slash moral support. Happy?" I got matching nods from everyone in the room. "Alright, in that case, I'm going to eat something and take a nap. I'm so damn tired."

* * *

When I woke up, I found that I had slept right through the night and it was about 6:30 in the morning. Feeling fully rested, I got up and decided to go for a short run around the neighborhood and past Nayru Park. I stopped near the fountain to see if there was anything abnormal, but it had gone right back to being a regular piece of masonry and gave no indication there was a formerly spider-infested labyrinth beneath it. I heard footsteps behind me and was unsurprised when Zelda joined me.

"I never thanked you properly," I said, my voice breaking the companionable silence. "For saving me. I would have been killed that Slime Behemoth, as Shade called it. Plus," I looked at her with a grin, "that fire blast was pretty cool."

"Yeah…" Zelda trailed off, twirling gold energy around her fingers. I had noticed she was doing that a lot. "Is it wrong that doing this feels natural? I don't feel like this magic is something foreign forced on me. It's more like its always been a part of me. Now I can just use it. It's disturbing, but comforting at the same time."

"Yeah, I know what you mean, at least a little. Like I said after we killed the Behemoth, I don't always know what I'm doing, but I can still do it. Acting on instinct, without thinking. It's exhilarating and a little unnerving." I stared at the dancing lights in her palm for a moment. "Have you been experimenting at all?"

"Yeah, every chance I get." She forced her hands together like she was packing a snowball, light leaking from her fingers. Her hands came apart to reveal what looked like a ball of light, which glowed brightly in the morning stillness. Zelda threw the ball into the nearby grass, where it seemed to explode, scorching the grass. "I haven't pushed it too much, but I haven't found anything I can't do with a little concentration." The lights faded from her hand and she sat down, leaning against the fountain's base. I settled myself next to her. We sat there for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. Finally, I spoke up.

"So, when do you want to leave?" Zelda didn't answer immediately. "We can't exactly sit around. I figure since this fountain opened, the other two will be too."

"You're right, but…" Zelda seemed hesitant to continue. "After you went to sleep last night, Hunter was telling me about the Order of the Goddesses. Apparently, they might know more about me and my powers." The Order was tasked with the worship of the Golden Goddesses and the maintenance of the Temple of Time near Lake Hylia to the south. If they knew more about Zelda's powers, they might be able to teach her something and might even have an idea of what we were ultimately facing.

"If we can get information from them, we might have an edge on whatever it is we're fighting. But we'd have to postpone visiting the other fountains and getting the treasures they're guarding." We continued sitting, deep in thought.

"Either way, I think we should leave tomorrow," Zelda finally said. "Like you said, we can't afford to postpone this any longer. I'll talk to my father today, make sure he knows that I'll be gone for a while." At the mention of her father, I realized something.

"Hey, I've never met your parents. Any chance of that before we leave?"

"No." Zelda was quick to shut the idea down, looking startled and a little fearful. "I mean, my mom died when I was younger, so you can't really meet her. But I don't think you need to meet my dad yet." I immediately felt bad. I knew what it was to lose a parent.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize. How old were you?"

"Eleven. She had a nasty kind of cancer, very fast and very lethal. I won't pretend it doesn't still hurt, but I'm past it." I gently took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Losing a parent was hell. I had my brother, Hunter, and Sheik to help me through it. I couldn't imagine going through that with anything less. "My dad and I are close, but he works a lot and I do my own thing, so we don't see each other super often. I'll say I'm going on a road trip with friends from school or something. Not entirely a lie," she said with a slight grin. I snorted with amusement.

"I suppose we just need to figure out where we're going first and to pack. We'll have to pack light to fit everything on the Master Cycle."

"Or have Hunter put it in his car for when we meet up."

"…You know, I think I'm starting to figure out who the real brains of this operation is." Zelda laughed.

"You're only now figuring it out?" She squealed as I tossed water from the fountain at her and was quick to return the favor. And for a little while, we forgot about the heavy weight of destiny crushing down and us and played in a fountain like the teenagers we were.

* * *

 _You know, it's kind of hard to find different ways to greet you all with these notes. Oh well, I figure if I just get into it you won't have time to realize I totally skipped it. And that it's a bit late. Oops._

 _As promised, in this chapter, nothing happens! Hooray for filler! Link gets a talking to that he really shouldn't have needed (and didn't originally, but manufactured conflict is fun), we get a little explanation for where Zelda's parents are, and we get just a hint of fluff._

 _Now, I have information for those concerned. This is the last of my backlog chapters, largely because I've had to work a lot and haven't had a ton of energy or desire to write. Sorry. I have the next one in the works, but it's not ready yet. I'm also going to be going on vacation for about a week, so it might be a while before you get another chapter. A shame, but that's the way it is. Just thought I'd let you guys know._

 _On to the massive review paragraph. Maya, glad you approve. That is one of my favorite scenes, right up there with Link and Shade tag teaming stealing Sheik's lunch. Sand seal, yeah, consistency. Props to you for actually playing Master Mode. I'd like to, but I'm afraid of the massive time sink it would be. Plus I'm not ready to replay BotW. And thanks for the well wishes, I'm working on it. Shadowlord, that'd be telling, and I can't do that. Stay tuned to find out though. Ultimate, heck yeah it is. And technically, Dark/Shade didn't really know anything. Everyone else listed though...yeah, to varying degrees. Midnaisbae, I decided to go into a bit of detail for you, please look below. Sand seal the second, thanks for the light defense. It is indeed a non-canon (duh), but I do want to have the whole thing make sense inside the Zelda universe, so the concerns are valid. Your use of puns is on point as always. Salty man, I don't know what you mean, but thanks for weighing in._

 _Now, Midnaisbae, I really appreciate your passion. There's nothing I love more than a devoted Zelda fan. My reasoning for the Sheikah not knowing immediately about Hylia is due to a couple things. First, it has been roughly a thousand years since the last round of incarnations. That's a long time, stuff slips through the cracks. And its not like they don't know about her. Hunter says he's seen the name before. He just doesn't know it immediately. He's also not the top dog of the Sheikah, just a guardian. As far as the whole "from the shadows" thing, that is how I see the Sheikah. More like secret agents than a fighting force. After all, a good ninja is the one you don't know is there. I also haven't said anything, read it, anything about the governing body of Hyrule at this point. We'll get into that later (next couple chapters probably), but, slight kind of spoiler, Zelda isn't a member of royalty, so there's no real reason for anyone to be looking for her. Hope that's answered your concerns, thank you for your attention to detail, it made me consider bits of the story going forward that I hadn't thought of yet._

 _Okay then, hopefully no one is too offended. As usual, thank you to everyone who takes the time to write a review, long or short. They really brighten my day. And don't forget everyone reading this far too long author's note, I respond to every review (at least for now), so please let me know what you think. Even if you're reading this at a later time, I love to hear from you._

 _Now, got a lot of stuff to get to. Like...stuff. It's important, I swear. And no, it's not just video games! ...Mostly though. Hey, Hollow Knight is an amazing game shut up. So, if you're all done judging me, I'll be going. Cheers all!_

 _-Aro_


	16. Chapter 16

"Man, I'm glad that water was cool. At least I'm not too sweaty now," I said, slightly out of breath. Zelda and I had finally stopped splashing in the water once we were both completely soaked. Which naturally left our clothes wet. Which made them stick to our skin. Or, more specifically, Zelda's clothes to Zelda's skin. I thank every deity that her t-shirt was blue and not white.

We both went back to our houses to change before going shopping for a few things. Quests across the country are not for the unprepared. Once I got home and changed, I was fine. But the three-minute walk home was torture. Zelda wears tight clothes as much as the next girl; skinny jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, whatever. But something about seeing her drenched with her clinging shirt revealing her form wouldn't get out of my head. Okay, I knew what it was, but that didn't excuse it. Thank goodness that by the time Zelda and I were ready for some shopping, I had almost entirely eliminated the image from my mind, which was about as good as I was going to be able to do.

To my extreme disappointment, we had to take a car instead of the Master Cycle so that we had room for everything we needed to get. First to the bank to exchange the crystal Rupees we had found, then off to the stores. New sleeping bags, some basic survival gear, a first aid kit or two, another more extensive field hospital kit, a whetstone and polish for my sword and shield (though I didn't really think the shield would need it), a few leather straps and rivets that I knew I would be able to turn into holsters for our various weapons, and, my personal favorite, biking gear.

I didn't generally consider myself a badass, but in a dark green biker's jacket, with boots, dark jeans, and a pair of gloves with green along where the bones of my hand were, I certainly looked like one. And Zelda. Oh, goddesses save me, Zelda.

Her gear was primarily brown, the jacket a lighter shade, while the gloves and pants were a darker brown. Hints of her pale skin would poke out for brief moments, sometimes at the waist, others at the wrists. She had the jacket partially zipped, which pushed her chest up slightly, making it look like her breasts were larger than usual. The direct result was that no man in the store could keep from glancing over periodically, and most of the women as well. I personally couldn't tell if I had hit the jackpot or drew the really short stick.

Once we had finished our shopping and grabbed some lunch, we got back to my house and unloaded everything. Zelda's dad was apparently home, so she ran back to her house to talk to him. I, in the meantime, decided to give the Master Cycle a real test ride. I was able to experiment with a few things to fuel it and found the best thing to use was plants and other organic material. I'm sure Zelda could have come up with some correlation between the materials and energy, but all I cared about was the fact that my bike liked to eat apples, which worked for me.

I also found an option for a helmet on the bike's display panel. Blue light streamed from bits of the bike to encase my head, fitting snugly enough to be both safe and comfortable. The visor was able to be fully clear or tinted like sunglasses. When I pushed the visor up, the whole helmet dissolved back into light and remerged with the bike.

Once I had the bike topped off and I had messed around with the helmet, I pulled all my gear on and drove over to Zelda's house. I realized later that it was a very good thing Zelda's dad had already left. I really didn't want his first impression of me to be me driving off with his daughter on a motorcycle. Zelda came out fully outfitted in her biking gear, including tight-fitting black pants and dark brown boots with just a little bit of heel on them. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail, holding the golden strands out of the way. She climbed on the back and a helmet matching mine wrapped around her head, leaving her eyes and the space around them visible. She wrapped her arms around my waist again, considerably less nervous than she was before, and off we went.

* * *

Cars blur past as we roar along the freeway. The Master Cycle responds to my every command, deftly weaving between vehicles. The wind is biting, but exhilarating. Zelda is latched onto my waist, bent over slightly behind me and keeping her body as in line with mine as possible. I mentally command the bike to shift slightly and it adopts its wolf form, becoming sleeker and, most importantly, faster.

The road curves around a turn in front of us and I accelerate to even faster speeds. Zelda leans into me more and I feel her body press more firmly against mine. As we fly past a small car and hit a long straight stretch of road, only one thought comes to my mind.

 _I never want this to end._

* * *

We left the next day, a beautiful Tuesday with clear skies and a hint of a breeze. We had decided the night before that Zelda and I would go to the Temple of Time first to hopefully get a little more information, while Sheik and Hunter would go to the Farore Fountain and Shade would go to the Din Fountain. We hoped it wouldn't be more than a few days before I passed the Trials underneath the fountains.

Fortunately, I was able to modify the Master Cycle slightly so that it would accommodate a few bags, which mostly contained my sword, the Hylian Shield, the Fire Rod, a few first aid items, and changes of clothes. We had decided it was best if we held onto the magical items we had found. I also found out the Master Cycle's dissolving extended to anything loaded onto it, so we wouldn't have to unpack it every time we wanted to dematerialize it.

Shade and I were finished packing, leaving us a few minutes alone together. Funny how such a normally frequent occurrence happened less and less frequently recently.

"What are you going to do in the Din district while you wait?" I asked my twin. "It'll be a few days before we get up there." Shade smirked.

"Well, in the spirit of summer romance, I'm taking Midna up there too. Going to get a hotel room and sleep as little possible." My face must have conveyed how horribly disturbed I was, because Shade didn't last ten seconds before he burst out laughing. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Wouldn't be opposed of course, but that's beside the point. No, there's a school I'm looking at up that way. Midna's interested in it too, so we're going up together. They've got great cooking and arts programs, including some magic focused ones. That's what Midna is looking into." That was a bit of a relief. I knew Midna had a bit of magic, a fairly common occurrence in Twili, and most with magic abilities were highly sought after by schools and employers. I also happened to know both Shade and Sheik had a bit of a crush on her. I had decided long ago to stay out of it.

"Cool. You're picking her up on your way out of town?" He nodded, standing when we realized we were basically set to leave. "Well, enjoy your getaway, don't blow your chance. Text me if something goes wrong." We clapped our arms together like were going to arm wrestle, something we had been doing for years.

"Will do. Don't crash and die and whatnot. You wouldn't be hard to replace, but that still sounds like too much effort." Ah, brotherly love. I grabbed my jacket from the couch, shrugged it on, and we went outside.

Zelda, Sheik, and Hunter were crowded around the three vehicles, seemingly ready to go. Zelda was outfitted in her biking gear again, same as me, and both Sheik and Hunter looked surprisingly serious. We walked over to join them.

"All set?" I called out to them. Hunter nodded before talking.

"Before we go, something you should know. I was looking at some older Sheikah texts I have and called some of the Sheikah Chiefs to try to find references to Hylia. I found a few things in the texts: she's a goddess that gave up her immortality to protect Hyrule and is continually reincarnated, same as you know. However, there were also mentions of a close relationship between her and the Sheikah. What that relationship was exactly, I couldn't tell. And when I asked the Chiefs about it, they clammed up pretty quickly. I mentioned what I found and what you told me, as well as the fact that you were visiting the Temple. They said I should give you this," he handed Zelda a medal with a Sheikah eye on it and some engraving around the sides, "and show it to the Temple attendant. They wouldn't tell me anything beyond that. You might end up getting more answers at the Temple than I thought."

With that over, we were finally ready to leave. I was excited to really try out the Master Cycle. Or maybe I was just giddy to ride it again, either were possible. The initial roar when I turned it over sent shivers down my spine every time. With bags loaded, my sword close at hand, and Zelda holding onto my back, I peeled out of the driveway and started south towards the Temple of Time.

* * *

It was about a six-hour drive from home to the Temple, which was situated across the great expanse of Hyrule Field. We stopped every few hours to stretch our legs and readjust ourselves. As comfortable as the Master Cycle was, riding on a motorcycle for long periods of time got a bit exhausting.

We finally got to the Temple at about 3:30 pm. Since there was a tour starting soon, we decided to go on that before talking to any of the priestesses of the Order. The tour itself didn't tell me much I didn't know, but it was interesting to go on it all the same.

The Temple of Time was one of the oldest structures still standing in Hyrule. It had been rebuilt a number of times over the many years, but there were at least a few stones that were still parts of the original foundation, most notably a large circular area towards the middle of the Temple. Whatever engravings had once been there were now long worn away, but the overall shape remained. The most recent renovation was about 800 years ago, according to records, but the current Temple was in remarkably good shape for having seen only minor maintenance over the last few hundred years. Walking around inside gave one a very strange sense of being displaced in time.

Three massive statues of the Three Golden Goddesses towered around the altar at the front of the Temple. The altar was a place meant for offering gifts to the goddesses but had more recently become a place for Hylians to request favors from the Goddesses. A massive bowl on the altar was full of slips of paper with prayers written on them. The statues of Din, Nayru, and Farore were all expertly crafted and truly impressive to look at as they faced the altar with stern, knowing, and kind looks respectively.

The majority of the Temple was filled with pews for prayer or meditation. There were also a number of smaller altars along the walls for some of the less prominent gods and goddesses. Cyclos, Zephos, Jabu Jabu, the Sand Goddess, Valoo, and the Ocean King were all placed prominently, with several others scattered between them as well. Each had a small area for devoted prayer and a bowl similar to the main one for the Golden Three. Zelda and I both noticed Hylia was completely absent from the Temple.

Once the tour was over, Zelda and I made our way over to one of the Priestesses near the main altar. Zelda hesitantly pulled the Sheikah medallion from one of her jacket pockets. "Excuse me, can you help us with something?" The priestess put on a kind smile.

"Of course, child. What can I do for you?"

Zelda held out the medallion. "Hunter of the Sheikah said to show this to one of you. He didn't explain further. We're looking for information on the Goddess Hylia." The priestess' face immediately became suspicious as she took the medallion and examined it. After a moment, she looked back up at us.

"So, you're the ones? Come with me." She turned and moved towards a side door out of the main chapel. Zelda and I quickly followed. The priestess took a few turns and went down a series of steps before going through another door. Zelda and I stepped through and were surprised to see a chapel very similar to the one we had just left.

A rather large statue stood behind a simple altar. It wasn't quite as large as the statues of the Three, but it came pretty close. However, this one was extremely simple, consisting of a winged woman clasping her hands in prayer with a serene look on her face. Kneeling in front of it was a number of men and women covered in elaborate robes with long white hair. As one, they rose from their kneeling position and turned to us before bowing.

"Your Grace," the middle figure said. I stayed by the door as Zelda stepped forward and started to bow as well. The lead…person (they looked like some kind of monk honestly) was quick to stop Zelda's bow. "No, your Grace, you have no obligation to bow, not to us at least. We are your servants, first and foremost." I could tell Zelda was flustered.

"Please, all of you, stop bowing. I'm just a girl," she said, wringing her hands.

"You know that's not true just as well as we do, your Grace. Not every girl is the reincarnation of Hylia, if what Hunter has told us is true."

"So you're the elders he was talking about?" They nodded. "Then do you know anything that will help us? Anything about what we're facing?" The elders exchanged somber looks before turning back to us. For the first time, I felt like they were actually paying attention to me as well.

"Link and Zelda, forever reincarnated to fight the eternal dying wish of the Demon King Demise. We were unaware that another cycle was beginning, though with the benefit of hindsight, it is obvious. I see Hunter has chosen to give you the Sheikah Slate to assist you, Link. Use it well, it is the last remnant of a time long past." On one hand, I was honored to have the blessing of the Sheikah to use one of their valued treasures. On the other, I would have liked to see them try to take my motorcycle. No way was I giving this thing up.

"Zelda, Hunter told us a bit of your powers, but we would very much like to see them ourselves. Would you be willing to show us?" Zelda nodded and extended her hands. Golden light immediately streamed from her fingers and floated through the room, weaving around all of us. The statue behind the altar also started glowing and seemed to amplify the light of Zelda's magic. She gasped in surprise and the light from her hand suddenly stopped. She immediately clutched her hand to her chest as if she had been burned.

"What was that? That power.…" The Sheikah elder nodded as if he had expected this.

"That is all the proof we need, your Grace. Had you not housed the soul of the Goddess Hyila within yourself, nothing would have happened."

"But what was that? The magic felt similar to my own, but so much older and more powerful." The elder nodded again.

"That was the power of Princess Zelda of Hyrule, who fought against the monstrous Calamity Ganon. She was the last incarnation of the Goddess, over one thousand years ago. The last lingering fragments of her power was instilled in this statue to await the next princess who would bear the power of the Goddess." I started at his words.

"I'm sorry, but did you say 'princess'? Because I don't think Princess Felia is here."

"You are correct, Link," the elder said to me. "The Princess Felia is not here. However, Zelda, or should I say Princess Zelda, is, for the soul of Hylia only ever rests in a princess of Hyrule. Zelda, do you know if you have any royal blood in your veins?"

"Well, I have heard from my grandmother that a long time ago, some old relative of mine had wooed a prince of the royal family. Grandma always said the two ran off and got married, but I always thought it was just a story."

"It wouldn't be the first time some secret tryst of royalty resulted in children. However, if they were married with love in the eyes of the Golden Three, a child born of such a marriage would be considered a legitimate heir, maybe even the rightful successor. It is the only explanation I can see for how you could bear the soul of Hylia."

Everyone in the room seemed to stop for a minute to process the information or something. Except me, because I didn't see that anything had changed. Zelda was still Hylia. Princess or no, we still had a demon thing to kill.

"Alright, good talk." My voice split the silence and jarred everyone out of their thoughts. "Sorry to cut this all short, but we just need to know what it is we're supposed to be killing. Any ideas?" The head Sheikah gave me an odd look for a second before smiling.

"I think I like you Link. Not as serious as some of your predecessors." Before I could ask what the hell he meant, he plowed right on. "What you face, even we don't know. We are guardians against threats to Hyrule and the Royal Family, and while we can often foresee those threats, the greatest dangers have always required the aid of a hero. The only thing we know is that this threat is unlike anything seen in many years. The signs offer no other explanation. Whatever is coming, Hyrule itself fears it. And we ae woefully unprepared to face it."

* * *

 _*Aro creeps through the dark* Okay, just going to sneak in here, post this chapter and run away before anyone notices... *spotlights turn on* Oh...shit...Imean,higuyssogreattoseeyoupleasedon'tkillme. Sorry this has taken so long to post, everyone, but vacation comes first. However, I am back now and ready to go back to work. And I do mean my actual job, so I apologize. I will continue this story and I will be working on it when I can, but please understand that this story is not my entire life._

 _Okay then, on to reviewers! Shadow, yes, filler, everyone's favorite. No, the fountains are not all going to be the same. In fact, the upcoming Farore fountain is extremely different from the Nayru fountain, and the Din one should be as well. There'll be more later too, so don't think these three are all you'll see. Sand seal, foreshadowing maybe indeed. What will happen? Honestly don't know, I haven't quite planned that far. But it'll be good, or I'll eat my hat. Which would suck because fabric tastes awful and I really like that hat. Foopuff, thanks for racing to keep up. The YouTube hole is indeed vast and unrelenting. Yes, they argue, no, he's not evil. I make no promises for the future though. Do you really blame them for bailing? I sure don't, I'd have booked it out of there too. As far as Zelda goes, not quite. I find that answer to be very cliche and boring, especially in a modern setting when things are televised. There's no way no one would recognize her. I think I did a decent job of explaining everything away here, but I'd still like your feedback. I too love that line, my favorite thing is to call the person in a group not doing anything "moral support." Especially when it's often me. Thanks for your understanding and I hope you enjoy what I put out next._

 _One quick note here, for those who noticed, there was a point in the story that I received a bit of flak for. I hope this chapter helped clear that up a bit, that was part of the goal._

 _Great, got that sorted. Next chapter will be a bit of a lead up to the next dungeon, which should be coming soon. I've got most of it mapped out, and what a map it is. Probably going to follow the same three chapter format as the last dungeon, but we'll see. On another note, I think this chapter finishes up most of the exposition I wanted to have happen, which means more time for plot and the ever anticipated romance. That's right, things are going to get moving in that department too. Can't wait, it'll probably be good (that probably is my way out if it sucks, so now you can't be mad at me because I promise nothing! Hah!). Cheers all and I'll see you soon._

 _-Aro_


	17. Chapter 17

Zelda and I sat in the Temple for a while after meeting with the Sheikah Elders. We had talked a little after the rather ominous declaration from the head monk, but he hadn't been forthcoming with much after his statement. He only alluded to the fact that we should return to the Temple after we had succeeded in the other two Trials. They had kept it short, leaving us back in the Temple's main chapel.

"So," I said in a half whisper. We were in a temple to deities we now knew were very real after all. Have to be respectful. "What should we do next?" Zelda leaned over next to me and rested her head on my shoulder.

"I don't know. I thought we would learn…I don't know what, but at least something. What we're fighting, how to fight it, anything. Instead, we know that I'm Hylia, which we already knew, that you can use your magic motorcycle, which we already knew, and that we have to do the Trial things, which we also already knew." At this point, Zelda was practically twitching in her seat, wringing her hands together.

"Hey," I said, grabbing her hands before she rubbed the skin off. "We knew this was a maybe. There was no guarantee we were going to learn anything here, but it was worth a shot. Now we've done it, we tried, and we have to move on. There's no point in thinking about things we can't change. Let's focus on what we can do." Zelda sighed and plopped her head back on my shoulder.

"You're right, of course you're right. I'm just frustrated. We've really gotten nowhere for months. We have a goal now, but what does beating some trials have to do with fighting evil? We're swinging in the dark with no idea if there's even anything to hit."

"We'll figure it out. After all, we've done this before. I bet there were a few times we had no clue what we were doing. For now, let's just head to the Farore Fountain. Hunter and Shade should be there by now. Maybe they found something new." I wasn't super confident in my ability to calm Zelda down, but it seemed to work.

"Okay, good idea." When she didn't move, I looked down at her as she stared at the massive statues of the Goddesses. She caught my eye briefly before looking back to the statues, cheeks just barely tinted pink. "In a minute." So we sat there, looking up at the Goddesses, wondering what in Hyrule they had planned for us.

* * *

Everyone thinks having a motorcycle is awesome. This powerful machine, nothing but two wheels and a precarious balancing act keeping you from being smeared across a quarter-mile of pavement. The thing they don't tell you is that, unlike your traditional boring car, there's no windshield. Which means the wind is going to take every opportunity to punch you in the face. It's exhausting.

Zelda and I drove up to the address Hunter had texted us, stepped off the Master Cycle, and just about fell over.

"Oh gosh, my legs…" I groaned.

"How do you walk? And why is everything spinning?" Zelda sat down on the curb, head in her hands and legs splayed out in front of her. I would have been more appreciative of the long, denim-clad limbs, but I was too busy pulling my helmet off my head and taking deep breaths of unobstructed air.

Once we had straightened ourselves out and were able to walk in a straight line, we found the room Sheik and Hunter were staying in, gave the two occupants the short version of our day, and promptly collapsed onto one of the beds. I ended up face first in a pillow and I'm pretty sure Zelda was half slumped on top of me, but I was so utterly drained I couldn't bring myself to care. I fell asleep within a minute of laying down.

I woke up at about midnight to find Hunter asleep on the other bed, Sheik laying on the couch messing with his phone, and Zelda curled up against my side, sleeping peacefully. It was obvious she was out cold, but it still looked peaceful. I pushed myself somewhat upright against the headboard, careful not to disturb Zelda's rest.

"Ah, Sleeping Beauty awakes," Sheik said, looking up from his phone. "Hungry?" At my nod, he chucked me a bag of Darmitos he had probably pilfered from a vending machine somewhere. Zelda snuggled closer to my leg. "So, did you hear anything Dad said earlier?"

"Honestly, I fell asleep so quickly, I had no clue Hunter even said anything." Sheik chuckled.

"That's kind of the way it seemed. Basically, we found the guardians of the fountain, a nice Zora couple that definitely didn't want to kill us for poking around the fountain. Had a nice chat with them, sorted out our differences, put away our knives. We're cool now, but damn, those fins can be really sharp. Remind me never to piss off Mikau. Anyways, we told them you two would be here tomorrow and/or today. They want to talk to you a bit before you head down into the abyss."

"Did they mention anything about what was down there?" I asked. Zelda stirred at my side before reaching into the bag and snagging a chip. Pretty sure she was still asleep though. She munched on the chip for a second before snuggling back into my leg.

"Nope," Sheik continued, completely ignoring Zelda's activity. "They didn't mention anything. So either they're keeping it under wraps, or they have no clue. My money's on the second one."

"Guess we'll find out." Zelda stirred awake at my side again, blinking blearily.

"Whuz happ'nin'? Why's it taste like chips?" It was hopelessly adorable.

"Don't worry about it Zel. Just go back to sleep." That seemed to be a good enough answer for barely awake Zelda, who did exactly that, wrapping her arms around my leg slightly as well.

"Aww, you two are cute," Sheik so helpfully offered from the couch. I glared at him in annoyance, but he couldn't seem to care less. "Should probably get some sleep. You've got a big day of crawling through underground labyrinths ahead and I have so many video games to get to. Going to be exhausting for both of us. G'night!" Oh, how I wanted to kick his ass. But that would probably require getting up, and I didn't want to disturb Zelda. After all, we wouldn't want that. Not when she's holding my leg lightly and pressing her torso against my calf and oh gosh shut up brain.

At that moment, I knew it would take me a while to fall back asleep.

* * *

For extremely cautious and slightly skeptical Zoras, Mozan and Trila were actually pretty nice. Of course, you had to get past their whole "going to kill you if you look at them the wrong way" demeanor, but they were cool, really. They didn't seem to believe that I was the Hero until I walked through the barrier surrounding the fountain like it was made of tissue paper, at which point they seemed to accept that I was the real thing. Before that though, it was anyone's game.

Of course, they didn't much like the idea of Zelda going into the Trial with me either, something about how it wasn't right and not the way it was intended, but Zelda let loose a few sparks from the Fire Rod she was carrying and shut them up pretty quickly about that too. It also helped that I had already dragged her through the barrier, cutting the Zoras off from attempting to stop her. Eventually, they seemed to give up and stood a little way away, leaving Hunter and Sheik to see us off.

"I'd say not to get yourselves into too much trouble," Hunter said from the other side of the barrier, "but I know you're both overconfident and likely capable of facing anything you find down there. Just remember there's no shame in coming back up if you need to resupply or if you get hurt. Nothing will be accomplished if you make a mistake here and die." Hunter was serious, and rightly so. There could be anything down there, and not even the Trila, who's family had been the guardians of the fountains for as long as she could remember, knew what might be waiting. Sheik, on the other hand, either didn't grasp the severity of the situation or just didn't care.

"Yep, have fun guys! If you find any more creepy bugs, try to catch one so I can show Romani when we get back. I bet she'd love it. Oh, and no making out just because you're alone. Weird tunnels aren't romantic. Break a leg! Or don't actually, that would suck. What a weird expression…" Sheik trailed off and ambled away, barely avoiding walking straight into the barrier. Zelda and I looked back to Hunter, who shrugged, gave us one last "good luck", and took a few steps away. Leaving the two of us free to approach the large basin.

"Ready for this?" I asked as I pushed the notch on the fountain, revealing another circular staircase leading down into the unknown depths.

"Does whether I am or not change anything?" Zelda was standing on the wide lip of the fountain with her hip cocked to the side, leaning on the Fire Rod like it was a fancy cane.

"Not really," I said as I adjusted my sword and shield on my back. "More of a common courtesy thing anyways." Zelda snorted and rolled her eyes, a faint smile playing along her lips. She hopped down into the bowl of the fountain and started down the steps.

"Somehow I don't think whatever horrible monsters we find down here will care about courtesy. Try the sword next time." I shook my head.

"Obviously I'm not going to ask the monsters if they'd prefer a peaceful talk. That'd be dumb…" I said as I pulled my sword from my back, holding it ready to face whatever test awaited us.

* * *

 _._

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 _*REALLY LOUD CREAKING* Shit._

 _So much for sneakiness._

 _So. Guys. It's been a while. I understand if you're annoyed, but-*urk*_

 _SAND SEAL. WHY YOU SHOOT ME WITH CROSSBOW?!_

 _All joking aside, I'm really sorry this took so long. I haven't had the inspiration I needed to write something good, and even now I'm not sure this hits that mark. The good news though is that I already have the entire Farore fountain dungeon planned out. Which means all I have to do is describe it, which, in theory, is easy. I make no promises, but it shouldn't take that long to write. But it is a big dungeon, so we'll have to see._

 _Now, my faithful (and hopefully not violent) readers, it's time for 'Answering Reviews with Aro,' the part of the note where Aro answers your reviews. Shadow, I know. Very sorry. Thanks, I guess. And for that, I'm going to say maybe. Not this round of dungeons, but I'll keep that suggestion in mind for the future. Only problem is when we get stuck on a boss, we can try again. Link...not so much. James, thanks for dropping in again. Foopuff, thank you, as always, for your enthusiasm. I needed more deities, and I think Jabu Jabu counts, so I threw him in there. To be fair, that would basically be my version of a spotlight too. So janky. I understand the need to quote things all too well, and I'm very glad that you think my jokes are worth quoting. Brings a burst of feeling to this cold, dead heart of mine. Not going to put the Ocarina in this, too game specific. I don't want to just reuse stuff from the games. It's a great game, don't get me wrong, but it has no place here. Foopuff the Second, glad you like how I incorporated Zelda's lineage. We might run into Felia in the future, but I don't know yet. I'll have you know I laughed so hard when I thought of a boss' title being 'Shit Ton of Evil.' Absolutely hilarious. Maya, indeed they were. Glad you caught that. Sand Seal, I know, I know, Link and Zelda are cute, I take too long to write stuff. I really doubt you're kidding, what with this crossbow bolt in my stomach. DarkLink, glad you like it, because it's certainly not going to change. Master Cycle, yes! Navi though...no, sorry. She just doesn't have a place here. Not as I currently see the story at least. Ultimate, thanks! Hope you like this one too. Sand Seal for the second time, you need to find something else to do. I'm glad you like this story, but I'm not sure its good enough to read six times. But thanks for the kick in the pants I needed to write more. As for Link calling Zelda his 'princess'...hey, that's a good idea. I guess we'll see..._

 _Hot damn, that was a lot. Okay, so you've got your chapter now, everyone happy? I hope so, because it is now time for me to hide under a rock for another month and do nothing. Nah, just kidding. I am starting school again soon though, which will either allow me more time for writing or less, depending on how much I work. We shall see! Until then._

 _-Aro_


	18. Chapter 18

The first door and hallway we hit at the bottom of the stairs looked pretty much the same as beneath the Nayru Fountain. It even had some way too big flying insect things that I quickly tore apart. Luckily, once I cut their wings off, they were pretty helpless. Their legs seemed to be for standing on, not walking. It was the next room that started to change things up.

"What is all this?" Zelda asked as the door slammed to the floor behind us. The room was mostly square, but two of the walls looked to be made out of wood. Not cut wood though, they looked like they were made of tree bark. They were uneven; bulging at places, recessed at others. The ground was also somewhat uneven, and what few bricks there were beyond the door we had just come though were broken and space far apart. The whole room looked like vegetation and growth had completely taken over what had once been a man-made structure.

Three large masses of plant were spread throughout the room, twitching lightly from time to time. I cautiously approached, not wanting to spring some trap. I shouldn't have worried though, because as soon as I stepped on a larger patch of grass, one of the piles shifted rapidly, allowing a bulbous blue head to rise up on a single thick vine. The bulb split apart, revealing sharp mandibles, and lunged towards me.

Fortunately, I had my sword at the ready and was able to deflect the massive pair of jaws to the side. It quickly retreated and swayed lightly. I took a step to the side, hoping to move around it when I heard a rustling from behind me, quickly followed by a flash of fire from Zelda. Trusting her to deal with what was likely another pair of plant jaws, I taunted the one I was facing into lunging at me again. I sidestepped and swung my blade at the main vine, severing the head. It immediately fell limp and rotted away like the other monsters we had killed. A quick glance behind me revealed the darkened ash of what used to be another one of the creatures. Almost too late, I remembered the third vine pile on the floor and spun around.

I barely had time to get my sword up to block the monster's lunge. I happened to angle my blade so that the creature's jaws went around it and its momentum propelled itself onto the edge. One spray of monster gunk across my shirt and two heavy thumps later, the plant thing had cut itself in half and was decaying away. Fortunately, it took its blood with it, but I still didn't feel clean, even once all the bits had dissolved.

"That. Was disgusting." I barely repressed a shudder while trying to get rid of the itchy feeling the monster blood had left on my skin.

"At least it didn't stick around," Zelda said as she moved towards me. "I bet it would have smelled horrible too. You're welcome, by the way." She nodded towards the burnt pile of plant matter.

"Trust me, it did smell. And I hope you don't expect me to thank you every time you help me out, or else I'm going to spend more time thanking you than killing things." Zelda gave me a sidelong smirk.

"No, not every time. Most of them though." With one last look, she turned and moved towards a mess of vines that had crawled up one of the bark walls. I felt a twinge of something in my chest, but I figured it was just lingering revulsion. I walked up behind Zelda as she aimed the Fire Rod at the plants and let loose a large burst of flames.

When the fire died down, I was surprised to see that the vines were still there, completely unharmed. Zelda seemed irritated and let loose another blast, more focused and hotter than the last. Again, the vines remained unharmed and indifferent to her now heavy breathing. She looked like she was prepared to try again when I put my hand on the Rod, forcing her to lower it.

"Stop, it's not working. Whatever these vines are, they don't seem to mind the heat. Besides, look how green they are. If they burned, we'd probably just choke to death on the smoke." Zelda's shoulders slumped.

"Fine. I just thought we might have an advantage with the Fire Rod this time. That door's clear, let's try that one." Of the three doors in the room, only one was clear of the thick vines. Leaving us few options as to where to go.

Going through the door, we found ourselves in another long hallway with a door about halfway down and one at the very end. The entire right-hand wall looked like the same wood/bark stuff we had seen in the last room. Upon closer inspection (and a few swings of my sword), we found that the wall was indeed wood. Very old, very thick wood. The door at the end of the hallways was also barred, leaving us with the side door as our only path forward.

In typical fashion, we were bombarded by enemies as soon as the door closed behind us, leaving us exposed in the middle of a large room. "Go right!" I yelled to Zelda, who quickly pivoted to face the three more of the way too big bugs hovering in the air. I spun to face two insects approaching us from the other side. One was the same size as its compatriots, but the other was easily three times their size, probably about the size of a Doberman.

I managed to deal with the small bug easily enough, ending its futile struggle with a quick slice at its wings and impaling it when I had the chance. The Doberbug was not so easily dealt with. It had larger legs and a thick carapace covering its whole body. The only soft spot I could see was under its shell on its back, where its wings were concealed. It was easy enough to get it to drop to the ground: just stand under it until it gets frustrated and tried to squish you, no doubt with every bit of irony intended. But it was much more mobile on the ground than its fellows, having fully functional legs that it was perfectly capable of chasing me around on.

Eventually, I found a way to beat it. Stand under it, wait for it to drop, run underneath it so you are directly behind it. Massive blind spot. You have to make sure to stay behind it, because it's going to look for you. Eventually, it gives up and opens up its back shell to take off again. It is at this point that you stab, hack, and slice the ever-loving shit out of it, at which point it will die.

Having perfected my technique and proving its effectiveness, I turned back to Zelda to see her facing off against the last of her opponents. She had erected a wall of fire in front of herself, which appeared to be the end of at least one of the bugs, and was shooting small fireballs at the bug, which was surprisingly adept at dodging. Seeing an opportunity, I jumped at the bug from behind and sliced it in two. Zelda put out her fire wall and scowled at me.

"That was my kill. I don't mess with your monsters when you've clearly got them under control, I expect the same courtesy from you." Man, she was cute when she was snippy at me.

"Yes, Your Highness and Gloriousness, I'll be sure to remember that in the future," I said with a roll of my eyes. As expected, Zelda swatted at my arm a moment later.

"Ass," she said as she moved towards the center of the room. Finding nothing incorrect about the statement, I simply followed. Wouldn't want to upset a royal goddess, now would we?

Upon closer inspection, the room we were in revealed a few curiosities. First of all was the oddly curved wall across from the door we had entered the room from. Inlaid into that wall was a massive carved door with a large intricate lock on it like the one we had seen on the final room of the Nayru Fountain trial thing. We surmised that that was likely the treasure room and the last one we would explore. To the right was a door up on a ledge that we couldn't reach, effectively ruling out that path. The only option left to us was a door inlaid into another wood wall on our left.

The next room was rather uneventful. Nothing tried to eat us immediately, divebomb us from the air, and no massive threat appeared in front of us. Pretty boring, honestly. The odd curved wood wall continued along one side of the room. Wall of vines covering a door to the left, accessible door to the right, and a chest sitting nestled against the opposite wall. Naturally, we both made a beeline for the chest, because treasure. Which proceeded to go horribly, as should be expected.

I only barely caught a glimpse of movement from above us, but thankfully, on behalf of Zelda's head, that was enough to make me throw myself forward and tackle Zelda to the ground. Whatever had been above us swooped down and raked across my back. My shield was across most of my back, saving me from the brunt of the damage, but I still felt something sharp run across my shoulders. The following stinging told me that I was bleeding at least a little. Hopefully only a little.

I pushed Zelda towards the chest, hoping that would be far enough away from whatever was attacking it, forced myself upwards, and held my sword up to ward off any further attacks. Our attacker was another fanged plant creature, but this time the roots were in the ceiling. Two more of the beasts hung to the right and left of the central one. I swatted away the one on the left, took a hasty step back, and sliced through the main vine of the right monster. It dropped immediately, leaving me one less thing to worry about. The middle monster rotated its mouth opening thing to make it vertical and trapping my sword it its jaw. The left plant took this opportunity to bite at my outstretched arm, but I spun so that it smashed its face on the shield that was still on my back. That gave me enough time to slash the insides of the one holding my sword, killing it, before cutting into the last vine.

As soon as I took a breath of relief, burning pain seared through my shoulders, which made my breath hitch. Which then made me cough, straining my torn back. I had almost forgotten about the initial attack that had wounded me. How thoughtful of my body to remind me. Groaning in pain, I slumped back against the chest that had been our original goal.

"Link are you okay?" Zelda asked from behind the chest where she had crawled to once I got off her. I heard her gasp quietly when she saw my back. She touched my torn flesh lightly, making me instinctively flinch away. "I'm sorry," she muttered, digging through the bag she had brought for our first aid supplies.

"It's alright, it just hurts," I said as she smeared something on my back that alleviated a lot of the burning. I couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "That's a lot better though."

"Good, but I can only do so much," she said as she smeared some sort of cream on my lacerated flesh. "We only have so much of this, so try not to get horribly injured too often."

"I'll do my best," I said as Zelda pulled me to my feet. My back still hurt like a bitch, but it didn't seem like it would be too bad. I could still move my sword arm without much pain, which was certainly a goddess-send. Zelda opened the chest to find another red Rupee and we moved on. The door to the right of where we had come in turned out to be guarded by two more of the plants, which Zelda told me were called Deku Babas. A moment later, they only thing they could be called was ash, courtesy of Zelda.

Of course, because more of the same monsters was just too easy, a new creature waited for us on the other side of the door. It looked like another Deku Baba, but it had a bright red head instead of the usual green/brown. It was also quite a bit larger. Not wanting to be caught off guard, I pulled my shield onto my right arm and let it bash its head on it before swiping at its stalk. As predicted, the head popped off. But, because what's life without a few surprises, instead of dying like I expected, the head started bouncing towards us, snapping frantically. Fortunately, the room we were in had plenty of space to move, which I promptly took advantage of.

"Zelda, burn it!" I yelled over my shoulder as the head chased me. For a pile of plant matter, it was actually pretty fast. I felt the heat of the Fire Rod from behind me and slowed down, expecting to see the charter remains of the plant. I had to jump back and start moving again quickly though, because apparently the thing was fireproof.

"Great, now what?" I shouted as I continued to jog around the room.

"Cut it! Or do you just carry that sword for decoration?" Zelda had a point, loath as I was to admit it. Luckily for me (kind of), the monster started hopping towards Zelda, giving me a second to take a quick breath and jump in front of the creature and slice into its mouth. The thing flailed for another moment before collapsing and decomposing.

"Thank you," Zelda said. I couldn't tell if she was being sincere or sarcastic. On one hand, I did just save her (probably), but on the other, I did do exactly what she said to. It was probably a losing battle either way, so I just let it drop.

The room we were in was somewhat strange. The curved wall continued on our right, clearly curving around to make a giant circle. With the wood walls, all the vegetation, and the general smell of plants, I figured the trial had been built into the remains of an enormous tree that had once stood here. The trunk of the tree got close to the wall, but didn't quite touch it, leaving us a way forward there. There was also a chest in that gap between the tree and the wall, one that looked to be both surrounded by and covered in creepers. There was another door to our left as well.

"Want to try the chest first?" I asked, figuring a moment of thought was a good idea after how well our last dash for treasure went.

"Might as well," Zelda said, looking around for any form of ambush. There was nothing in the ceiling or walls, but the thick nest of creepers made it hard to find any Deku Babas or bugs hiding in the tangle. "Just be careful. Last thing we need is a repeat of last time." I nodded, and we stepped onto the outermost reaches of the creepers.

Naturally, everything went to shit immediately. Three steps in the tendrils beneath us came alive and surged up to grab us. They were quick to entrap our feet before working their way up our legs. I raised my arm to hack at the attacking creepers, but a cluster of vines shot up and wrapped around my arm and wrist, pulling them back down before I could swing. Zelda did the same but managed to get a shot off with the Fire Rod before being restrained. The fire blast slammed into the creepers and fizzled out, leaving the plants unaffected.

"Why do we even have this thing if it doesn't do anything?" Zelda yelled, clearly frustrated with how useful the magic stick had been of late. "Hang on, I'm going to try something."

"Not a lot of other options here," I said as the tendrils crept up my chest. If we didn't get out of this quickly, we weren't going to be able to breathe as the vines crushed us. I turned myself as best I could to face Zelda, who had her eyes squeezed shut. It was only a moment before I saw golden light streaming from her unrestrained hand. Her eyes and hand burst open at the same time, radiant light streaming from both.

She turned her open palm down and the creepers immediately started smoking and writhing, trying their best to get away from the divine power. They unraveled from Zelda's body faster than they had originally snared her. She stepped towards me and seared my captors until they relinquished their hold on me too. I saw that Zelda was sweating and her hand was trembling too. I threw my sword back into its sheath, grabbed Zelda, and jumped towards safe ground. It wasn't a second after we were safe that Zelda's light flickered and went out and she collapsed into my arms, panting with exhaustion.

I dropped to the ground, cradling Zelda in my arms, letting her rest her head on my shoulder as she caught her breath.

"Can we…take…a little while?" she said between panting breaths. "That took a lot…out of me."

"Of course. Let's just get away from these vines first. I don't want to suddenly be suffocating." I pulled us both upright, Zelda leaning heavily on me. I managed to drag her over to the next door we would need to go through. I lowered both of us to the floor, and Zelda immediately curled up in my lap.

"Can I just stay like this?" she asked timidly, peering up at me. I didn't have the heart to say no (and I'm also not an idiot), so I gave her a nod. After a cute smile, she snuggled closer against me and rested her head on my chest, one arm sneaking around my waist. I couldn't tell if she fell asleep or if she was just lying there, but I decided to leave her to is. As much as I could when she was using me as a literal body pillow.

With very little else to do, I pulled out a notebook I had brought and sketched out a rough map of the dungeon so far. Sure, would have been convenient if someone had already made one and left it lying around, but I guess we can't be handed everything. The only problem with my distraction was that it didn't take very long to finish, at which point I was stuck with letting my mind wander, which inevitably led to thinking about the girl curled up against my chest.

My first thought was how in Hyrule I managed to have this happen to me. Sure, everyone gets lucky, but having a beautiful girl sleeping on me, by choice I might add, was pushing it a little. Not to mention she was brave, kind, ferocious, adorable, brilliant, and witty. Also single, let's not forget that. The only thing I could compare her to was either royalty or divinity, both of which were actually spot on. Which lead me to my real predicament.

I wanted her. Wanted to be with her, wanted to comfort her, wanted to kiss her, wanted to encourage her, wanted to support her, wanted to run my hands over her lithe body, wanted to stare into her perfect eyes for the rest of eternity. But how could I say that? Sure, it was becoming clearer and clearer that she liked me too, but I wasn't thinking saying, 'hey, I like you.' My mind was going along the lines of 'I would give my life to see you happy one more time.' And that's not really something I could drop on anyone.

Plus, how could I be sure I really felt that way? I was apparently hard-wired to protect this girl, of course I'd die for her. I'd die for anyone. Hell, I might die and save the world. Hopefully not, but who knows? My whole infatuation could just be me rebounding from Cremia. I didn't want to admit it, but I wasn't entirely over her. We had dated for years, that doesn't just disappear overnight. Gosh, my head was a mess.

As I sat there, head whirling in who knows how many directions, Zelda shifted and pushed herself upright. She blinked a few times and seemed to shake herself awake before realizing exactly where she was, at which point she practically jumped out of my lap.

"Sorry," she mumbled, blushing furiously. "I don't know what came over me. I was really tired from the magic and I needed to rest and you where there and safe and warm and I knew you'd protect me and augh!" She buried her face in her hands, trying to look anywhere but at me. I stood up and tried to brush off all my musings.

"Zelda, it's fine. You needed to rest, nothing wrong with that." She nodded her head absently, still not looking directly at me. "Besides, I should hope you feel safe around me. What with me being your destined protector and all that." I was really trying to lighten the conversation. In the middle of a trial labyrinth was not the place to sort out our feelings. "If you're ready, let's just move on. Who knows how much of this place we have left to explore." Zelda nodded again, and we moved through the next door.

The next room we entered was more of a long corridor that looked like it had been carved out of a tree root. Which, considering where we were, was likely the case. There wasn't much in the corridor itself except for a bunch of Deku Babas stuck to the floor, walls, and ceiling. They were spaced so I never had to deal with more than two at a time, but they were still annoying. I would have blasted them with fire, but I figured unleashing a fiery hell inside a giant wooden tube was a really bad idea, leaving me to deal with them the old-fashioned way. By stabbing the shit out of them.

When we finally reached the end of the tunnel, we found two doors on the left and right. Zelda figured the one on the right led back to the big tree trunk, which was likely the center of the maze, so we decided to check out the left door first. The room didn't look like much at first. Just a room with a chest on the other side of a small lake. It looked too easy. And when I poked my sword in the water, I found out I was right. The water's surface immediately went from tranquil to frothing. The same creeper tentacles that had grabbed us earlier lashed out of the water, trying to entrap my sword and whatever else they could get their feelers on.

"Good thing we didn't go for a quick swim," I muttered. Zelda snorted beside me. I took an experimental swipe at one vine that was too close for comfort and was relieved to see my sword slice straight through it. At least we could cut them if we needed to. "Well, no way we're getting through that. Might as well try the other door and hope nothing else tries to eat us."

The other door put us out in another small corridor that quickly ended in another door. I was ready to hurry through to the next area when Zelda grabbed my arm, holding me still.

"Wha-" I was cut off as Zelda clamped her hand to my mouth. I gave her a wondering look, at which point she pointed to a massive lump attached to the wall and ceiling.

At first, I thought it was just part of the dirt ceiling, but then something crawled out of a part of the lump. It was another one of the bugs we had killed earlier. It crawled around on the lump for a moment before going back in through a different hole. It wasn't a moment before I noticed another one crawling around. And another. And another. I quickly realized what it was I was looking at and pressed myself and Zelda as far against the wall as I could. Something about a massive monster hive just put me off I guess.

Once I was sure the insects weren't going to swarm us, I gestured for Zelda to give me the Fire Rod. She handed it over to me and I felt the now familiar tingle of magic through my veins. Summoning all my will, I poured as much fire as I could onto the hive. The thing instantly ignited, crackling away. I didn't let up though, determined to see the whole thing reduced to ash. I could hear screeches coming from the burning hive as its occupants were consumed by my onslaught. I kept up the flame for almost twenty seconds before I stopped. Fortunately, at that point the whole thing was mostly gone anyway.

"There," I said, handing the Fire Rod back to Zelda. "That should take care of them. I hope to the Goddesses we don't have to deal with any more of those."

"Why so determined to get rid of that?" Zelda asked. It made sense, I usually didn't ensure a threat like that was destroyed so thoroughly.

"When I was, oh, probably about eight, I was playing around outside when I accidentally stepped on a buried wasp nest. Let's just say they didn't appreciate it very much." I couldn't help but shudder in revulsion at the mere memory of the incident. "Anyways, no more threat means we can move on."

The door led us to a very familiar sight. The curving side of the tree trunk made up one wall of the room. More creeping vines covered the floor to our right and we could see a chest sitting in the middle of it. "Probably the same one as before. We're just on the other side of the vines," Zelda mused, to which I nodded. There wasn't anything else in the room except another door on our left, leaving us with very few options. And since neither one of us was much for sitting around twiddling our thumbs, we decided to keep moving.

The next room was very similar to some of the others, though with more of the larger flying bugs instead of Deku Babas. There were only a few though, so they were easily dispatched. A large entanglement of vines covered one of the doors in the room, effectively sealing that portal for now. Again, we only had one other option for our way forward. But once we went through it, I quickly wished there was a different way forward.

The room was another long passageway. Again, it was full of plants. But they weren't Deku Babas. The whole floor and parts of the walls were covered in creeping tendrils. Every once in a while, a patch of them would shift slightly, dashing any hope that they were dead or immobile. A dozen or so of the smaller bugs hummed overhead all down the tunnel, flitting from one spot to the next.

"Oh shit," was all I could really say.

"Basically," Zelda said under her breath. I considered our options quickly. Fire didn't work, I could slice through the vines, but not when they were wrapped around me like a vise. Zelda's magic worked against them, but the last time had taken a lot of energy out of her, and that only stopped the things for a minute before they recovered.

How in the world were we going to get through this?

* * *

 _Hot shit guys, this is a long one. Hope you appreciate that. I slaved away at this for you. I've got school and stuff to do now, so its not like I can just take the time I have between classes to write in frantic hope that someone will still be here to read this thing by the time I finish coming up with it all. You damn well better appreciate it._

 _Honestly, not much to say other than that and the reviews. I am really sorry about the wait, but next time you're desperate for a new chapter, ask yourself if you would rather have a shit chapter that I come up quickly or something that I took far too long to write at much higher quality. Just know this kind of perfection and awesomeness doesn't come easily._

 _Okay then, now that you've all been suitably reprimanded, time to say thank you. ...I feel like something doesn't line up there, but that's not the point. Shadowlord, not quite sure why you're in a closet, though I suppose it's fitting for a lord of shadow such as yourself. Pissing off a Zora is indeed a bad idea, them guys are not to be trifled with. I hear Darmitos are really close to some snack food we have hear, but I just can't put my finger on what it is. Ultimate, good and bad news for you. Good news, you just got to read a new chapter! Huzzah! Bad news, you now have to wait more for me to write the next one. Oops. Sand Seal, I feel like that "maybe exaggerating" is not the case, but I'll just leave you to it. If you want to obsessively reread this story, who am I to judge? No idea why you think this is the water dungeon, because it most certainly is not. Farore Fountain, remember? You'll have your water dungeon, just not yet. Don't know why you hate them so much though. I never found them that bad. A little annoying because Link is so slow in water, but other than that, they're not bad. And no, you're clearly no sorry about the crossbow since you're threatening me with a trebuchet. Got to get those violent tendencies under control, man. Just remember I can't write from underneath a three-ton boulder. Foopuff, of course I came back. Did you doubt me? For shame. I too laughed at the whole chip thing, it was one of those things I thought of and had to put in the story. I think it really makes it better and adds character. Both to the story and the actual characters, so double win. You'll have to wait to see if Ruto turns up again and what the boss is. No spoilers for you._

 _Now, to all those worried I am going to leave this story dead and unfinished, I hereby swear to the almighty force that is our communal love of Zelink I shall not abandon this story. That was a decision I made when I decided to start posting this. Besides, if I never finish it, I will never know how the story ends, and I just hate that. So don't worry guys and gals, I'm right there with you hoping I pull my head out of my ass and finish this thing. Just know it's a long one, so strap in._

 _But._

 _If you do want to make sure I keep writing and update more often, how about a little motivation? And no, I don't mean threatening me with various forms of torture and death. I already have people for that. But if you wanted to take a minute and let me know how much you're enjoying the story and how excited you are to see what happens next, that would probably be the most effective method. Don't really care how you do that, but, just so you know, the best way would probably be to just leave a quick review. The text box and 'submit' button is right there. Only has to take a minute. Of course, you can take as long as you want if that's what you feel like doing, don't let me stop you. Plus, everyone who gives some feedback gets a portion of the massive bloody review paragraph dedicated specifically to them. So there, now you know. Do what you wish with this knowledge. I'll just be over here._

 _Waiting._

 _Okay, that's definitely long enough. Hopefully I won't make you all wait so long for another chapter, I honestly have had a lot of time and motivation lately, so let's hope that doesn't change. I'm going to get to that and you guys all keep being awesome. Second half of the dungeon next time, woot! Until then._

 _-Aro_


	19. Chapter 19

Zelda and I were sitting at the end of the constrictor vine tunnel, slowly coming to the conclusion that we only had one really bad idea left. We had gone through the rest of the dungeon again, looking in every corner to make sure we weren't missing something or had another way forward. We didn't. This tunnel was our only option, and when that option is covered in vines that want to strangle you, that's a really shit option. Of course, our idea was pretty much just as bad. I spoke up first.

"So, want to run for it?" I gave Zelda a resigned look. "Not like we have a lot of other choices. The vines take a moment to react, so as long as we run quickly, they won't be able to catch us." Zelda looked at me like I was slightly crazy.

"You want to run across a floor of vines that we know can and will trap us and slowly strangle us, with no backup plan if something goes wrong and just hope we'll be fine?" Geez, it sounded so much worse when spoken aloud, but as mentioned previously, there really weren't other options.

"Yep!" I said brightly, trying not to show I knew how mind-numbingly stupid this idea was. Zelda sighed in resignation.

"Alright, you want to go first, or should I?"

Since the tunnel was wide enough to accommodate two people, we decided that Zelda would start first with our bag of supplies and I would run a few feet behind her on the other side of the hallway to avoid the tendrils that tried to grab her. The idea was that if she got snagged, I could cut her loose as I ran past. Of course, we had to dodge the bugs flying over head as we ran, but hopefully we'd be moving too fast for them to catch us. Resigned to our horrible idea, we braced ourselves.

"Alright, ready?" I asked. Zelda looked extremely apprehensive but nodded. "Okay then. Just remember, big steps," I said, more to myself than anything else. Pulling my sword from its sheath, I gave myself a mental count down. "Ready…..go."

Zelda took off first, more bounding along than running. In the second I had before I committed to the same stupidity, I noticed she hadn't gotten caught yet. Before I had time to think too much (never my strongest suit anyways), my legs pushed me into motion.

I almost dropped my sword right away, quickly remembering to keep it up and away from the vines that I could hear thrashing around behind me. If nothing else, the constant rustling was definitely a compelling reason to keep going. I could see Zelda in front of me, blasting short bursts of light at the spots in front of her to help clear a path. I would have taken a slice at the vines too, but doing so would probably be suicide, so I stuck to running.

By the grace of the Goddesses, the tunnel wasn't all that long. It was slightly curved, so we hadn't been able to see the end from where we started, but I could see the other end quickly approaching. I veered a little too close to Zelda's trail though, which was still a writhing mass of tendrils, and one lucky vine tripped me. I sliced at it before I completely lost my footing, but I was still leaning too far forward. It was all I could do to keep powering forward, only a few steps from safety.

Zelda was already across, panting against the wall and looking at me as I stumbled towards the end of the corridor. With two steps to go, I finally felt myself loose my fight with gravity and, having no other reasonable option, jumped as hard as I could towards Zelda. I felt the impact of floor against my shoulder as I instinctively tucked my head forward, turning my jump into a forward roll. Feet flying over my head, I threw my lower body to the side, rolled on my side twice, and slammed my feet into the ground, skidding to a stop facing the direction I had come from, holding my sword to the ground. It probably looked badass from an outside perspective, but really it just hurt. I slowly pushed myself upright, nursing the bruises forming on my forearms.

"You alright?" Zelda asked, still slightly winded.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," I said. Sure, it might have looked cool, but it hurt like a bitch. "You good?" She nodded too, and I couldn't help but laugh with relief. "I can't believe we pulled that off. That was so fucking stupid." Zelda was laughing too, shaking her head at my statement. Once we calmed down, we refocused and went through the door in the end of the hallway.

We basically stepped into hell, pulling up short very quickly as the door closed behind us. From what I could see immediately, there was a chest to our right, another bug hive across from us between two doors, both of which were barred, and a number of bugs flying around the room. Occasionally, one would swoop too low and one of the armored Deku Babas that were sitting on the floor would snap at it, confirming that they were carnivorous and had really sharp teeth. Lucky for us, nothing had noticed our intrusion yet.

As slowly as I could, I leaned over to Zelda and whispered in her ear. "I'm going to go for the bugs first, you take out the hive first. Ignore the Deku Babas, they can't reach us." She nodded and I sprang into action.

I quickly sliced the wings off one flying monster and rolled to dodge a swooping Doberbug. Zelda stood near the chest and shot a concentrated stream of flame at the hive. However, there were two things that we hadn't accounted for that immediately screwed our plans. There was another hive in one of the corners of the room and the Deku Babas tore themselves out of the ground to start hopping towards us as more small bugs swarmed out of the second hive. What had been a controlled fight quickly turned into frantic running, fireballs, and swinging blades.

Luckily (for once), none of the creatures were all that smart. The small fry bugs kept getting in the way of the larger Doberbugs, which then either knocked them out of the air or straight up killed them. The Deku Babas, agitated by all the activity, snapped at anything that moved too close to them. The chaos gave Zelda time to torch the other hive and take out a large cluster of small bugs with a quick arc of flame. I had to focus on keeping both the Deku Babas and Doberbugs away from her, but I managed. I managed to find an angry pulsing growth-fruit-thing on a part of the wall that exploded when I threw it at the bugs flying above us, clearing out a chunk of them and knocking a few off-course. I even got one of the large bugs to crush a snapping Baba before cutting it apart from behind. Within a minute or two everything was dead except for me and Zelda.

"Eugh, that wasn't great," I groaned. I was going to have to get used to rolling around I guess, because my shoulders really hurt at this point. "Didn't get eaten too much I hope?" I called over to Zelda, who I then noticed was clutching her arm wincing with pain.

"Not too much. One of the small ones got on my arm," she said with a slight cringe as she pulled her hand away. I hadn't realized she was actually hurt. A series of scratches littered her upper arm, none too deep, but a few were oozing blood. I quickly grabbed the bandages from the bag and bound the scratches. The stark white bandages looked horribly wrong against her pale skin, but I did my best to ignore it. And how angry I was with myself for letting her get hurt.

"Thanks. One of them swooped down at me when I was burning the second nest. It should be fine now though." Zelda seemed to brush off the injury like it was nothing, but I felt like I had failed her somehow by letting her get hurt. I was supposed to protect her, no matter what. I resolved to be more careful in the future.

Now that all the threats in the room had been removed, we popped the chest open to find another red rupee. For a second, I was worried there wouldn't be room in the bag for everything if we found more, but we were okay for the moment. The bars covering the two doors on the other wall had also opened. We picked the one on the right on a whim and quickly realized we were back in the first long hallway we had found, the one that had led into what was probably the main chamber. Having already explored the area, we figured the other door was the one we needed to go through. And boy were we right.

The bugs we had seen before were generally either pretty small (Pugbugs as I liked to think of them) or a bit larger, Doberbugs. As I stood there looking at the monstrosity in front of us, I couldn't think of a dog big enough to describe this thing. I was thinking something along the lines of Horsebug, but that just didn't have the same ring to it. And then we were running.

Apparently this thing was some sort of hive queen, because Pugbugs were suddenly swarming around it, preventing us from hitting it with anything, including flame blasts. Granted, they helped to thin out the horde, but didn't do any damage to the queen. I tried to get it to drop like the Doberbugs had, but after almost getting crushed my its enormous abdomen twice and acquiring a few bites from hovering Pugbugs, I figured that might be a bad idea. After a minute of running, we decided to focus on the hives that were spewing out the bugs creating the living shield around our target.

"I think it's working!" Zelda yelled at me from the other side of the room. It did seem that the removal of the second and final hive in the room had caused the number of smaller bugs to dwindle significantly, but I was too busy running for my life to take a good look or really respond. Seeing another of the explosive fruits I had seen earlier, I grabbed it as I ran past and lobbed it in the direction of the angry mass of evil demon bugs following close behind me. An angry shriek told me it was extremely effective and I made a bee-line (get it) for more of the fruits.

After a few more fruits and a choice fireball from Zelda, the queen finally dropped to the ground. Then, it was just a matter of either me or Zelda distracting it so the other could torch it/stab it in the ass. A few deft slices and monstrous fireballs later, the hive queen twitched, spasmed, and crumpled in on itself, rapidly rotting away to leave the room blessedly empty.

"Well," I said, finally catching my breath. "That was fun." Zelda nodded, resting her hands on her knees to recover from the combination of physical and magical exertion. Her stamina was getting better, but it was still exhausting.

As we sat down on the dirt-packed floor, we heard the sound of wood creaking and something that sounded very similar to all the vines that had been trying to ensnare us. I did a quick pivot to confirm we weren't in immediate danger and figured we could find out what had caused the noise when we weren't so worn out.

After a quick rest, we took a closer look at the room and found a large chest hidden behind a root wall that had likely been the source of the shifting and creaking. Hoping the chest would have another fancy magic weapon in it like last time, I popped it open. I was not disappointed.

To be honest, it looked like a hand cannon. The body of it was mainly white with intricate blue designs tracing all over it. It had an octagonal gemstone on either side, both alternating between almost white and a wintery blue, almost the same color as the detailing on the body. A large handle, thick body, and wide barrel gave the whole thing the impression of being powerful and heavy. Fortunately, it was considerably lighter than it looked, or else the thing would have been a pain to use. I grabbed the thing and pointed it towards a wall as Zelda took a very intentional step behind me.

"For science!" I yelled, pulling the trigger. I could feel a concentrated ball of ice and cold move down the barrel and shoot out of the thing, rapidly winterizing the wall I had been aiming at. Moving to a different place in the room, I focused more on a coating of ice and the floor was instantly slick and slippery. "Want to try?" I said as I offered the gun to Zelda. She took it, aimed at the ceiling, and fired. Suddenly we were in the middle of a light snowfall.

"That's fun," she said, playing around with it more as I cobbled together a makeshift holster with some of the leather strips I had brought. I knew they would come in handy. Since Zelda wasn't likely to give our new toy back, I strapped the rudimentary holster to her hip and let her position it and the gun to rest comfortably.

"We'll have to get an actual holster to hold that when we get out of here, but this should work for now," I said, admiring my work. With a backpack across her shoulders, gun/cannon at her hip, and the Fire Rod working as a staff, Zelda looked like she was ready for a hike. A very strange hike probably, but she looked good, especially now that I knew exactly how nice those hips were. Forcing my thoughts aside, I zeroed in on a door in the wall, our path forward.

There wasn't much of an immediate threat in the adjacent room. A few Deku Babas guarding the next door, which was covered in another thick tangle of vines, including one of the armored ones. In one of the corners was a chest, with an enormous mass of creeper tendrils covering and surrounding it. Zelda held up the Ice Cannon, as I had taken the liberty of naming it (Ice Gun just didn't have the same ring to it), and aimed it at the slowly shifting mess. One massive blast of freezing air and a miniature snowstorm later, the previously troublesome vines were frozen solid. I tapped one with my foot and it shattered into pieces, leaving nothing left. We were very careful to step on every single one of the obnoxious creepers.

Extremely satisfied with our path of destruction, we pried open the chest to find a purple rupee inside. We ended up having to eat some of our dwindling food supplies to make room for it. I was honestly surprised it fit at all, but Zelda was very determined. Glad to finally have a way to combat all our leafy adversaries, Zelda also dispatched the Deku Babas and the vine wall blocking our way.

Quickly making our way back through the dungeon to where we first saw the creeping tendrils, we opened that chest to find another of the smaller heart-gem-things. We also made a short trip back to the small lake we had found and froze that as well, revealing the third of the heart-gems we had found. Both behaved the same as the first one: shattered into pieces and flew into my chest. All my wounds healed again, even though they were mainly just scrapes. I would have liked if they would have healed Zelda's arm, but the crystals seemed to only like me. Remembering the last of the vine walls we had seen, we made our way there.

We had mostly overlooked the door we were standing at. Positioned along the curve of the massive trunk, the vines covering the door froze and shattered like all the rest, not even needing a quick slice from my sword to help them on their way. Very considerate of them, for once. Heaving the door open, we were pleasantly surprised to see the room didn't have anything waiting to kill us hiding inside. There were just a few stairs leading up to a large platform that had a massive overgrown chest sitting on it. It looked like it was grown out of roots instead of just being covered in them. Prying it open was easy enough, revealing a large key that could only fit one lock.

To the right of the chest was one last door that put us out on the raised platform overlooking the first room we had found Doberbugs. It also gave us a great view of the enormous door set into the trunk and the lock holding it shut. It basically screamed, 'hey, over here, dipshit.' I was personally offended.

Eager to be done with this mess, I dropped Zelda down and jumped down after her. We strolled up to the door, jammed the key in, and twisted until we heard a loud snap. The lock fell away, and the door lowed itself into the ground, leaving us with a gloomy view into the middle of the trunk. Zelda's small hand slipped into mine and, weapons ready, we stepped into the center of the tree.

* * *

 _Well hey there. I heard you guys wanted a chapter, so here one is. If you were that desperate, you should have just said something._

 _In all seriousness (I know, its unpleasant for me too. Hold on), I am sorry this took so long. I've been really busy with school, work, staying alive, and Hollow Knight. Because seriously, it. is. so. good. And it's $15. And on Switch. The music is great, the art is fantastic, the storytelling is subtle and gives you so many, 'wait, wtf?' moments, it's fantastic. So if you haven't played it, pick it up. Switch, PC, going to be on Xbox and Playstation too (hah, psych, it's out now, go get it), so you really have no excuse. Unless you don't have any of those. In which case you just need to get your lives together. I can only do so much._

 _Let's just move into some reviews then, shall we? Glad you agree, because you have no say it the matter, so here we go! Twilit Lord, thanks for the 'motivational crap.' Really appreciate it. The small bugs got a name in this chapter, the vines are generally just creepers, which I find appropriate because they creep up on you. See? Totally made up though. I hope I met your requirement for amount of time taken to write a chapter. And yes, that is indeed more pretentious, well done. Xmana, thanks for dropping a line. I'll do my best to update more often, I know you and everyone else appreciates it. Nightwing, I am sorry to confirm that food and oxygen do indeed come first. Can't write if I can't breathe. Well, can't write for very long at least. Sand Seal, try not to make too much of a mess when you blow up. Blood and guts get so sticky if you don't clean them up right away, and I don't have that kind of time. I too love seeing Zelda's powers grow, got a lot more of that coming. Bit of drama, maybe. Got to kill a big thing first, then we'll see. I would never kill them. Yet. Far too soon in the story for that. Thanks for explaining your water temple confusion, I was very confused at first. I read a ton of stuff at the same time too, so don't sweat it. Nice cheerleader outfit, I'll do my best! You guys are certainly worth it! Foopuff, glad you were satisfied, hope this is equally enjoyable. Doberbugs, asses, and Deku Babas are all a good time. Or maybe just one? Two? Ah, can't remember, you figure it out. I love writing moments like that where Link is just being silly. Makes him more fun and interesting. I would never forget about Cremia, just sideline her. Link's got some stuff to work through. Never stepped on a wasp nest myself, but my cousin stepped on a bee once. She was not happy, and neither was the bee. No, I just hate anything with a stinger. They're all evil and can burn. Ai Star, indeed, and it doesn't get better. Not yet at least. Greenoak, thanks for dropping a review, I love to hear from new readers. Not that my usuals aren't great, but...you know what I mean. Glad you appreciate the dungeons, because they can really be a pain to write. Hence the Zelink I sprinkle in. Makes it much better. I shall indeed keep writing, I love it just as much as you all do. Foopuff again, calm yourself. Here we are, stop freaking out. Also, Twilit Lord has the trebuchet last I checked. Go have a fight to the death or something. As far as you motivation, it actually worked pretty well. If it hadn't been for you, this probably wouldn't have come out until Monday or Tuesday. So there you go, thanks for a kick in the pants. Everyone, thank Foopuff, this chapter is dedicated to them (because why not, not like that really means anything...I mean... *ahem*) Good job, bravo, congratulations, now go away._

 _As usual, you guys and gals are amazing and make my fingers hurt from so much responding. You better appreciate it. Next chapter might be out a bit sooner, just by nature of how bosses work. But I make no promises, so if it takes a month, I'm still covered. Smart, huh? Again though, you are all fantastic and are at least 60% of the reason I write this story. So tell your Zelda nerd friends, your dog, your window, or your crushing lack of friends and rampant introversion to come a read this story and drop me a line. I appreciate every single one of them and love to hear from you all. Additionally, if you wanted to PM me, I wouldn't be opposed to responding every once in a while. Willing to keep you guys updated on chapter status if you're that desperate. So consider that, play Hollow Knight, let me know what you think, if you have it or not, and all that good shit, and I. Will. See. You. NEXT TIME! Boss stuff, good times. Cheers dudes and chicks._

 _-Aro_


	20. Chapter 20

Once again, the door slammed shut behind us, leaving us mostly in the dark. A few bioluminescent plants glowed along the walls of the tree. As we were looking around, I couldn't help but wonder how the tree was still supporting itself. The walls really weren't that thick, and if the trunk was all hollowed out, there couldn't be that much structural strength. However, before I could think too hard on the matter, we heard a loud droning. The room lit up around us and I could see another of the Hive Queens from earlier coming towards us from the other side of the room.

I dropped into a ready stance, thinking this probably wouldn't be too bad. Before I could do anything though, a massive plant bulb I somehow hadn't noticed surged up from the floor and ate the monstrous bug in one bite.

That's right. One bite. One.

Zelda took a step back in surprise, which must have alerted the plant monster to our presence. The large, petals I guess, of the plant folded down to reveal a massive eye perched on a stalk that swiveled to stare at us. Not sure what to do, I stared back. We maintained eye contact for a few seconds before the petals shifted and folded back up over the eye. A little bit of ominous rustling and rumbling later, the demonic Baba creature had pulled itself up off the ground slightly and had pulled some spike-covered root/tentacle things out of the ground. They slapped the ground twice as if to say 'come get me' before lashing out towards us.

Zelda and I immediately resorted to our tried and true technique of running away from the thing while we tried to find a way to hurt it. We tried sneaking around it to make it loose track of us, but it always seemed to know where we were. We could cut and freeze its thrashing roots, but there were so many it didn't seem to make a difference. The petals were impenetrable, fire made the plant faster, and we were running out of options.

It was Zelda who noticed the bright yellow spots near the base of the plant's petals seemed to shift slightly. She took a closer look while I was distracting it (by frantically cutting at a tentacle that had grabbed my leg), and noticed the spots were slightly transparent. With a few quick shots from the Ice Cannon she covered all the transparent portions of the plant.

If it was possible for a gigantic plant bulb to look confused, this one definitely fit the bill. Remembering how the monster reacted when it first saw us, I stomped on the floor. As I had hoped, the petals peeled back, revealing the eye once again. Knowing time was of the essence, I ran up to the plant and took a few swipes at the eye. Knowing better than to push my luck, I backed up before it could eat me. Come to think of it, I didn't see any trace of the Hive Queen the Baba demon-thing had eaten. Getting trapped inside of it would probably end horribly.

The plant quickly folded its petals back up, protecting it from the bite of my sword. I shook itself, dislodging about two thirds of the ice covering its eye holes. A few were torn, forcing the Baba Demos (see, its like a Baba, but a demon) to either close the openings or leave itself vulnerable. After two more rounds of dodging vines, ice and shaking itself, all of the eye openings were closed, leaving the creature no way to see us.

It must have realized this (it really was quite smart for a plant), because it proceeded to push itself up out of the ground using the vine-roots it had left and folded its petals back so that they dragged along the ground. I heard a revolting churning sound from inside the beast and had to jump out of the way to avoid a massive glob of plant spit. Good thing I did too. The spit sizzled and hissed on the ground, eating away at the ground beneath it.

"Zelda, this thing spits acid! For the love of the Goddesses, don't get hit!" Another mess of acid flew towards me before freezing into a massive cluster of ice in mid-air. Of course, I had to dodge that too, but I guess a cracked skull was better than being melted alive. Not much better, but still. "Hey, freeze the mouth when its about to spit!" I yelled out.

"You mean freeze the base of the bulb? Because technically that's not a mouth!" Zelda shouted back, jumping out of the way of a spray of acid.

"It's used it to eat something, it opens, and it spits acid. I'm calling it a mouth, now fucking freeze it!" Seriously, women. I think I heard Zelda grumble something similarly directed at men, but she still froze the monstrous plant so I could run up and hack at it some more. I was wondering how an eyeball was so tough that I couldn't cut through it immediately when my sword sunk into it just a little bit. I had to jump away to avoid being eaten, but I could tell we were almost done. "One or two more hits should do it!" I called to Zelda, who was jumping around more flailing roots.

I moved over to her to dispatch the vines when one caught my leg. Undeterred, I sliced at it, freeing my foot again. Suddenly, Zelda screamed, and I looked up to see an enormous ball of acid flying towards her. Her arm was trapped, leaving her unable to freeze the acid or move. With only a second to think, I jumped towards her and swung the Hylian Shield towards it as hard as I could. There was a loud ringing and the acid ricocheted off the shield. Seeing the plant was about to fire again, I sliced at the vine holding Zelda down and dropped to the ground, giving her a perfect shot to freeze the Baba Demos again. I immediately launched myself at the plant, jumped as hard as I could, and slammed the point of my sword into the thing's eye. I heard a horrible gurgling noise from inside it and pushed myself away from the monster as quickly as I could, dragging my sword out with me.

The large plant demon went berserk, petals thrashing, vines twitching, and acid shooting out in short bursts, before the whole thing relaxed, oozing its own destructive spit all over itself. It rapidly rotted to pieces, disappearing with a final burst of ash, leaving another large heart crystal where its roots had met the floor.

"Well," I said, carefully picking up the Hylian Shield. I was relieved to see that the horrible acid hadn't even ruined the paint on the thing's face. It really was absurdly strong. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" Zelda laughed as she walked over to me.

"Maybe if you're not worried about being melted." She took a look at the Hylian Shield too. "I'm surprised this thing was able to withstand the acid. Not even the plant itself was completely immune to it." She was interrupted by a loud creaking, groaning sound from the back of the room. A large knot in the trunk of the tree had shifted and opened, revealing something green behind it. "Guess we should check that out." I nodded, grabbing the heart crystal from where the plant had been. It shattered and flew into my chest as usual, leaving me invigorated and ready to go. As in, ready to go out of this labyrinth. I was ready to see the sky again.

Behind the knot was really just a pedestal with an ornate wooden box on it. I popped the lid open to see a dark green shirt neatly folded. I reached in and pulled it out. It took a lot longer to pull it free of the box as I realized the bottom went down way further than a shirt should. I looked at it quizzically for a moment.

"So, it's a dress? I don't get it, I thought this was supposed to be stuff for the Hero. Who is a guy. Guys don't wear dresses. That makes sense, right?" I asked Zelda, who looked similarly confused.

"I guess so. Maybe try it on anyways? It looks about your size." I dropped my arm to my sides before squinting at the girl next to me.

"This isn't just you trying to get me to put on a dress, is it?" Zelda snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Just put it on, doofus." I quickly pulled the soft material over my head and straightened it. Zelda was right, it did fit pretty well. Loose enough to move my arms easily, but not baggy. The bottom was a bit loose though and hung down to my upper thigh. The material had a slight slit along the sides going from the bottom to just below my waist, presumably to prevent constricting leg movement.

"It's not a dress, it's a tunic," Zelda said, examining me. She looked into the box again and pulled out a worn strap of leather. She stepped closer to me and wrapped it around my waist. She was close enough that I had to lift my eyes to keep from looking down her shirt. And, you know, to not get bashed in the face by her head, but whatever. I can confidently say I was at least partially successful in my attempt. Desperate for a distraction to keep from looking back down, I saw there was another belt in the box, as well as a few small pouches and two bits of fabric.

I pulled out the other belt first, twisting it this way and that before I realized what it was for. I grabbed the makeshift back strap I had made for my sword and removed the sheath from it. Two minutes later, I had the sword strapped against my back, much more securely that it had been before. I had also found a hook on the back of the belt for my shield, which fit perfectly.

Pulling out the pouches, I looped them onto my waist belt, finding I could move them around but also strap them tight enough to prevent any annoying shifting. The larger of the two pieces of fabric in the box, colored a dark tan, proved to be a pair of pants that I decided could wait to be put on. Last, the final piece of cloth. It looked like one of those wind socks, just not as big and the same color green as the tunic. There was some decorative lacing around the opening and down towards the tip.

"What the heck is this?" I said, thoroughly perplexed. Zelda swiped it out of my hand.

"Bend down," she said holding the cloth by the opening. I raised my eyebrow inquisitively and Zelda huffed in annoyance. "I can't reach your head when you're standing like that." I slowly stooped down to give her better access to my head. Again, she stepped closer, bringing her face way too close to mine for comfort. I could feel her messing around with my hair and I vaguely felt something fit snuggly on the top of my head, but I was too distracted to really pay attention. I really had to figure myself out, because this was starting to be a problem.

Zelda finished whatever she was doing and dropped her eyes to meet mine. Seeming to realize her position, her cheeks briefly glowed pink before she carefully stepped backwards. Not sure what to do, I straightened myself and looked down my new dress/tunic. I could feel my new equipment, and it felt pretty good (even the tunic, which surprised me), but I couldn't really say anything else about it. I just kind of crossed my arms and looked at Zelda.

"Well, how do I look? I can't really tell." Zelda seemed to shake herself out of a daze briefly before pulling out her phone to snap a picture of me. I looked at it and was pleasantly surprised. The greens and browns all blended together really well, and everything fit like a glove, showing off my strong, lean frame. Arms crossed with a steady look in my eye, sword hilt sticking out from over my shoulder and glints of metal from my shield peeking out, I looked capable at worst and pretty damn sweet at best. "Yeah, that's not bad at all," I mused. Zelda nodded her head in agreement.

I popped one of the pouches on my belt open, finding it empty. On a whim, I reached into our backpack and pulled out one of the rupees we had found and stuck it in the pocket. Seeing there was room to fit more, I stuffed another one in. Finding more room again, I jammed something else inside. It wasn't long before I realized that I was able to fit way more stuff into the pouch than I should be able to. In fact, it seemed like the only limiting factor to what I could fit inside was that it had to be able to get in the opening to the pouch. After that, the space inside was limitless. A quick test with the other pouches, which I noticed had conveniently different sized openings, proved they worked the same way. It was ridiculously funny to lower the two-and-a-half-foot long Fire Rod into the pouch and watch it disappear. Reaching into any of the pouches, I just had to think of what I wanted, and it appeared in my hand.

"This is easily the coolest thing I've ever seen. We're barely going to need a backpack now," I said in amazement. Zelda was similarly impressed, stuffing her entire arm into one of the larger pouches. It made her look like some sort of amputee until she pulled her whole arm back out. She tossed it back to me and I strapped it back onto my belt.

"Either way," she said, "I'm holding on to these two." She patted the Fire Rod and our new Ice Cannon, both in their respective homemade strap holsters. "I think we can both agree that I'm way better with them than you are," she quipped. I stumbled back in mock offense.

"Is that what you think?" I said, layering on the drama. "I am appalled and offended that you would think such a thing. I am far better equipped to handle such powerful devices. I simply don't want to leave you unprotected and helpless."

"Oh, is that what you think?" Zelda said, mischievous glint in her eyes. "You don't want to protect me? I am a goddess, but you can't be bothered to defend me, so you leave me to fend for myself? Some protector you are," she said, walking with exaggerated outrage towards the exit, extra sway in her hips. I had to jump to run after her once I fully realized what she had said and meant.

"Hey, wait, that's not what I meant!" I yelled after her, hearing her laugh at my expense.

* * *

 _Oh hey there. Look at me, updating. And it hasn't been a month. Aren't you guys (and gals) proud of me? I hope so, because otherwise I'll just take longer with the next one. That'd show you, wouldn't it? Wouldn't it!? HAH! I WIN! AS I ALWAYS DO! MWAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHA...someonehelpme._

 _Let's see, I want to ramble a bit before we do all the reviews, so let's talk about...something? You guys don't know how much being an introvert sucks. I will be talking to someone, the conversation ends, and I just stand there, because how the hell do you start a conversation? It's not easy, let me tell you. Although, I bet some of you know my struggle. After all, you are reading nerdy fan fiction. Safe to say at least some of you are introverts. Alright, perfect time waster. On to reviews._

 _Twilit Lord, Cerberbug could work, but there's not really enough heads on them. If I had added some horrifying mutant bug thing, that totally would have worked though. If I don't meet your requirements, you're welcome to go somewhere else and get your story (please don't actually, I need the views. They give me sustenance). Not sure why the name wasn't taken though. I will agree that it is a bit of an oversight on someone's part. Ai Star, good! It was supposed to. My own little homage to the hand-holdyness of...certain games. Foopuff, YES! Glad you liked it, the plan is a horrible idea that goes impressively well, and yes, flips are cool. No hookshot yet, but I'm sure it'll show up eventually. No idea what theme you're talking about though. What the items are is only dictated by a future point of the story that I shall not speak of yet. It'll be cool, just wait for it. I appreciate your enthusiasm and I know exactly what you mean. Random Reader, hope you're not dead yet, that would suck. Not quite sure where the Triforce rant is coming from, but I don't think its so much that he can't as much as he doesn't always try. After all, he does get it in (spoilers) Link to the Past and Link Between Worlds. Ultimate, my man, I have indeed returned. The journey was hard, I had to fight a thing, bad times. But I did it for you, knowing you would appreciate the fruits of my efforts. And thus you have, therefore validating my efforts and proving I'm not crazy. You hear that, you stupid psychologist, I'M NOT CRAZY! Nightwing, indeed he does, and shall continue to do so. As you may have noticed. After all, and let's be honest here, Zelda's hot. I appreciate you vigilance and shall count on you going forward. Finally, Sand Seal, YES! I've found teachers usually don't like laughing in class, unless they're the one telling a joke. Try to keep it down. Glad you noticed my awesomeness, not everyone does. It is appreciated!_

 _Glad you guys are liking the story so far, I'm enjoying writing it for you. Just so you know, I'm going to try to speed through the next few chapters so I can get to the good stuff. I always have a hard time with the third dungeon in Zelda games, because its usually the last barrier before the twist in the story that makes everything exciting again. We'll still have the third dungeon, don't worry, but I'm going to try to cut it down to two or maybe, MAYBE, even one chapter. It's a pretty simple one, so I might be able to get away with it. Stay tuned to find out._

 _Anyways,...I have very little else to say. Next chapter is going to be a little bit of a wind down and then wind back up to the next dungeon. And remember how Link's been thinking he needs to sort out how he feels about Zelda? That's going to be happening... I know at least a few of you are looking forward to that. Might be a bit of a longer chapter because of what I have to fit into it, plus relationship stuff takes effort and all that, so don't expect another quick update like this. It might happen, but it might not, so temper your expectations. But lucky for you guys, I'm in a writing mood right now. (Almost just typed 'write' there instead of 'right'. It would have been funny, but I wouldn't be able to forgive myself.) Got my 'Two Steps from Hell' playing, keyboard is nice and clicky, and for once there's no mountain of homework to get done. It's only a small hill! Suck it, college! HAH!_

 _Okay, done raving. Don't forget to leave a review saying how much you love me, my story, and my ravings and how they're almost as long as the chapter itself (not really, but it feels like it). Cheers all!_

 _-Aro_


	21. Chapter 21

Turns out I only sort of got my wish. We emerged from the Farore Fountain at about 3 in the afternoon. All in all, we had spent about six hours scrambling around the underground network of roots. In that time, a wonderfully dreary bank of clouds had rolled in, obscuring the nice blue view I had been hoping to see. Really, just downright inconsiderate.

Naturally, everyone had something to say to us. Hunter was fascinated by the Ice Cannon and my new dimension-breaking pockets, Sheik ran around wearing my hat like a lunatic, and Mozan and Trila had something special to give me. Turns out they had been holding onto one of the smaller heart crystals, which they told me was called a Piece of Heart. It also came with the handy benefit of being one fourth of one of the larger heart crystals, Heart Containers. Not great names in my opinion, but I'm sure someone thought it was a great idea. Just like the other Pieces of Heart, this one shattered and flew into me. But because this was the fourth one I had found, I felt a surge in my strength and endurance like when I absorbed a full Heart Container.

Magic is great.

"What's your next plan then?" Hunter asked, casually tripping a hyperactive Sheik in the process. The two Zora had already bid us their farewells, leaving us to walk back to our hotel, conveniently located not too far away.

"Just move on to the next fountain, I guess," I mused, not really seeing any benefit to waiting. The sooner we got these trials over with the sooner we could…get on with whatever we were supposed to do next. Come to think of it, that whole 'next step' part still wasn't super clear.

"I'd like to stay another night here, have a little time to rest first. Maybe actually eat a full meal too," Zelda remarked as she heard my stomach rumble. I rolled my eyes but couldn't help but agree. We found a restaurant nearby and had a positively massive meal. Well, I did. Zelda seemed to find the colossal amount of food I ate both amusing and slightly horrifying. I personally couldn't care less. If anything, it was the food's fault for being so damn delicious.

A few hours and one solid nap later, we were all sitting around in our hotel room. I had taken off all my hero-ing gear earlier (since swords usually aren't allowed in restaurants), but the cap had found its way back onto my head, largely at Zelda's insistence. Didn't know why, didn't really care. I learned long ago it was better not to argue with women.

Sheik and I were talking, Zelda was reading a book, and Hunter was watching the news when he pulled all of our attention to the story on the TV as he turned up the volume, where a man with burning red hair was bowing to Princess Felia. My breath caught, and I suddenly found myself breathing heavier.

"…discussing the event that took place earlier this afternoon at Hyrule Castle. The footage you're seeing now is Princess Regent Felia greeting ambassadors from the Gerudo Desert, most notably a male Gerudo named Ganondorf Dragmire." Muscles in my back suddenly twitched at the name. "Clara, this is really quite momentous, isn't it?"

Someone else on screen jumped into the conversation. "It is, since this is the first appearance of a male Gerudo since Demitus Hordsen's death over a hundred years ago." The news casters continued talking, or really just speculating, while Hunter lowered the volume again.

"The appearance of a male Gerudo is a rare occasion, and always momentous. This Ganondorf is going to be a big deal, but hopefully should help smooth over relations with the Gerudo, especially if he's meeting with the princess."

"It's surprising that no one has even heard of him." My eyes snapped to Zelda as she spoke, trapped in a state of hypervigilance. Some part of my body was sure disaster was about to strike. "Surely there would be some rumor or hint of his existence before now, especially if he's so important."

"Not necessarily," Hunter said quietly. "Even with the world so interconnected now, the Gerudo keep to themselves. That, coupled with growing social bias and racism against Gerudo, it would be much easier to hide a male Gerudo's existence, even from the Sheikah."

Abruptly, I pushed myself to my feet and moved towards the door, calling that I was going to go for a walk. I couldn't describe what I was feeling other than an overwhelming urge to MOVE. Hunter just said to keep my phone on before going back to his conversation with Zelda.

The night air did wonders to clear my head. Which was good, because it felt like it was going to burst. Filled with thoughts of my quest, Zelda, and now this Gerudo, I could feel myself slowly freaking out. As soon as I had seen this….Ganondorf, I got chills just thinking the name, I had instantly been on edge, fight or flight instincts on max. Something inside me was screaming danger, not only for me, but for Zelda too. It was all I could do not to grab her and drag her out of the room, away from a face on a screen that felt like it was attacking my soul. Once I got away from it, I managed to clear my head, but for a second there, I wanted to cut the TV in half. Of course, new thoughts quickly took…that man's place.

Zelda.

What was I going to do about Zelda?

Obviously I cared for her. Who wouldn't? She was passionate, beautiful, smart, brave, and had ridiculously awesome magical powers to boot. But she was also loyal, stubborn when it suited her, witty, sarcastic, and a million other things that were steadily driving me insane. At this point, I was certain I wasn't just crushing on her as a rebound from Cremia and that I genuinely cared for her, but was that really all me? She was a goddess and I was her eternal protector. And I'm pretty sure not falling in love with your ward was rule number one of guarding someone. How much of what I felt was just an instinctual need to protect her? Could I be sure that what I felt was real? Was it all just a deeply rooted desire to defend her? Did it matter?

The whole thing made my head hurt.

So I decided to do what any self-respecting man in an existential crisis does. Push it down and deal with it later. Breaking out into a run, I ran circles around my problems until my screaming muscles became more of a priority.

By the time I made it back to the hotel, I was sweaty and refreshed. I made a quick trip up to our room to grab my swimsuit (which I can't remember why I brought, but I sure was glad I did) and went down to the hotel's pool for a quick dip. There were a few kids playing in the shallow end and two girls that looked about my age in the hot tub, but other than that, it was mercifully empty. Jumping as hard as I could, I impacted the water's surface hard and let the cool liquid wrap itself around me as I sank into the depths. I surfaced to find the three kids in the shallow end looking at me in awe before scrambling out to try and replicate what I imagine was quite a large splash. The girls were also looking my way, but I ignored them and let myself float in the mostly tranquil waters.

Eventually, the little kids left, and I resorted to doing laps as best I could in the not large pool. My muscles burned, but it was a pleasant burn that I had become well accustomed to over my months of getting into shape.

I was taking a short break sitting on the lip of the pool when I heard some squeaks of surprise as the girls that had been in the hot tub gently lowered their legs into the much colder water. I watched them out of the corner of my eye as they chattered and giggled. One was wearing a modest one-piece, while the other was in a brightly colored bikini. I was pretty sure they looked my way a few times, but I wasn't paying much attention. The one in the bikini stretched her arms above her head in a way that I was pretty sure was supposed to be suggestive, but I ignored her. Her figure was nice, but I found I couldn't care less. I instead opted for throwing myself back into the water and siting at the bottom of the pool for as long as I could.

I burst back to the surface once the strain in my lungs became uncomfortable. I was sucking in sweet, sweet oxygen when I heard my name being called from the door. Turning, I saw Zelda pulling off a t-shirt to reveal a dark purple bikini that did absolute wonders for her curves and total murder on my imagination. She jumped towards where I was in the middle of the pool, long blond hair flowing behind her as she tucked her (probably mile-long from the looks of it) legs beneath her and splashed water right in my face.

She resurfaced quickly, pushing her now wet hair out of her face. I wasn't sure if it was a stroke of luck or otherwise that only her shoulders poked out from above the water as we floated. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" I asked, a bit confused why she was there. Zelda just shrugged with a smile.

"I saw you grab your swimsuit earlier and thought I'd come join you. I could use a bit of a distraction after everything." Funny how much her thoughts mirrored my own.

"My thoughts exactly." I caught a glimpse of the two girls on the other end of the pool with sour looks on their faces. I glanced back to Zelda and caught a trace of a smug grin on her face before it disappeared. I quirked my eyebrow at her, but she just innocently smiled at me before whipping her arm around, throwing a wave of water in my face. I sputtered briefly, wiping the chlorinated water out of my eyes before shooting her the best menacing grin I could.

"Oh, it's on."

And so commenced the great Hotel Splash War, spoken of in legend for generations (or something like that). Let it be known, I was technically the victor, gaining the upper hand after diving underwater and pulling Zelda's legs out from under her. She was dragged underwater, but I quickly found the water fighting me, hauling me away from my target and shoving me out of the pool. Laying on the edge of the pool with my legs still in the water, I turned to see Zelda sitting half inside a raised pillar of liquid, golden light streaming from her hand.

"Don't you just love magic?" she taunted from atop her lofty perch.

"Hey, that's cheating," I threw back at her, only a little put out at my sudden loss.

"Oh, yeah? Too bad," Zelda said jauntily. I could feel the water churning around my ankles and quickly pulled them out of the water. Skipping along the damp floor, I retreated to the safety of the hot tub.

"Hah, can't get me here!" I yelled as I sank into the wonderfully warm water. I sat on the submerged stone step, arms resting on the lip of the small pool and laughed smugly at Zelda, who was still on top of her watery throne. She quirked her eyebrow and the pillar moved towards the pool edge. Once it hit the lip, Zelda stepped daintily out of it and smoothly walked towards me, letting the pillar collapse behind her. Water running down her pale legs, between her breasts, and dripping off her hair and pointed ears, she strode to the hot tub and slowly stepped down the stairs until she was fully immersed in water again, letting out a soft groan as the water wrapped around her body. I, meanwhile, was struggling not to stare as I remembered why the other girl hadn't interested me in the slightest.

"Oh, that is fantastic. I didn't realize how much everything hurt from all the adventuring," Zelda said as she settled in the pool. I couldn't help but agree, closing my eyes and letting the warmth seep into my aching muscles. I felt and heard the water sloshing slightly as Zelda moved, before opening my eyes to see her sitting next to me resting her head on my outstretched arm. None of this was helping my conflicting feelings concerning the undoubtedly attractive girl next to me, but I found myself content to just enjoy her presence. I was shaken out of my daze when Zelda said something.

"What?" I asked, completely missing what she had said. She laughed slightly before asking her question again.

"What do you think we do once we've finished the last trial? If all goes well, that'll be tomorrow." I reluctantly refocused on our mission.

"I don't really know. We don't really have anything to go off of other than finishing these fountains. I guess we go back to the Temple and see if either the priestesses or the Sheikah are more helpful once I've proved myself. Or maybe you can magic them into cooperating."

"No," Zelda said with surprising vehemence and a slightly glazed look in her eyes. "I can't use my powers to compel others. It is forbidden." She seemed to come back to herself. "Besides, I'm sure they'll be much more helpful when they see you decked out in your full hero garb. It's rather impressive."

"I'll let you be the judge of that," I said. "What do you think about the Gerudo guy? You think he's connected to our quest and the coming terror from beyond the abyss? Hunter did say Gerudo males signaled change, and I'd say the end of the world certainly counts." Zelda looked pensive.

"I don't know; it's possible. But I couldn't begin to guess what that might be. We don't even know anything about him. Probably best to withhold judgement for now." I nodded in agreement before letting the ever-present pressure of our quest slip from my mind. I was determined to relax while I could, and what better place to do that than a hot tub?

A few minutes later, I felt Zelda's head shift slightly on my arm as she scooted closer to me and turned her face towards me, eyes still closed. The warm water must be making her sleepy. It gave me a perfect look at her soft features. Her pale skin glittered slightly as the water on it slowly dried, long eyelashes twitching slightly. Strands of her blonde hair, darkened slightly from the water, stuck to her cheeks and forehead slightly. Her pink lips were parted slightly as her body relaxed and she dozed off. In short, she was a vision and a dream mixed into one and made real just for me. And damn if she didn't look ridiculously kissable at that moment.

Like she knew I was watching her, Zelda's eyelids fluttered slightly before slowly sliding open to reveal her bright blue eyes looking back at me. I felt myself swallow, holding eye contact with her for what felt like an hour but was probably just a few seconds. I could see the emotion shifting in those cerulean depths, but I forcibly pulled my own back. I cleared my throat and shifted gently, moving to stand up.

"We should probably get out of the water before we shrivel up like prunes. Can't save the world like that." Zelda blinked once, twice, before nodding and slowly pulling herself out of the warm water. I grabbed a few towels from the nearby cart and we quickly dried off before heading back to the room. Hunter was passed out on the couch and Sheik was in one of the beds. Zelda jumped into the bathroom to take a quick shower before switching out with me.

By the time I finished, Zelda was asleep on the formerly unoccupied bed, leaving me with a truly difficult choice to make. I could either: sleep on the same bed as Sheik, who was currently splayed out like he owned the thing, make a quick nest of blankets on the floor that almost guaranteed a poor night's sleep and an achy back in the morning, or curl up next to Zelda, who had, intentionally or not, left plenty of space next to her. I considered my dilemma for a minute longer before giving up and carefully sliding in next to Zelda, making sure there was a layer of sheets between us and not to get too close to her. I only remained tense for a minute or two before my body responded to the soft bed beneath me and I slipped into sleep.

* * *

To make a long story short, we made it to the third fountain. We all woke up to the screaming of Sheik's phone and the helpful alarm he had set for 7 am. Zelda and I ate a quick breakfast before hopping on the Master Cycle and heading for the Din district of Hyrule City. We made good time and met Shade and Midna near the Din Fountain by mid-morning.

Midna and Zelda were leaning on the Master Cycle, the latter showing the impressive piece of machinery to the former. Shade and I were a little way away, keeping our voices low.

"Did you tell her anything?" I asked, trying to drag Shade's gaze away from the two girl's butts. He wasn't even being tactful about it. I snapped my fingers in front of his face and finally gained at least part of his attention.

"No, of course not. What was I going to say, 'we're only here because my literal hero of a brother needs me to scope out a fountain?' Come on, you'd never get anywhere with a girl that way. Not that I've made much headway with that, but the day is young. What do you think, hand holding on the college tour? Buy her lunch? Oh, and how's it going with Zelda?" I immediately felt my face heat up.

"That's not important. Was there anything weird about the fountain?" Shade gave me a look like he knew exactly what I wasn't saying, but, praise the Goddesses, let it drop.

"We're discussing that later; don't think you've gotten out of it. Nothing weird from what I could tell, but we couldn't get too close, like you said." I asked if he met anyone that seemed like the guardian of the fountain, to which he also replied no. "Honestly, it doesn't look like anything. Just a stone fountain from what I could tell. I nodded, and we walked over to rejoin the girls.

We must have walked in on something, because Zelda was busy trying to hold her hands over Midna's mouth and her face was bright red. Midna was just laughing, avoiding the slightly taller girl with ease. Shade stepped in and dropped an arm on Midna's shoulder.

"Cat fight? What about? And can I watch?" Midna rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulder, causing Shade's arm to fall back to his side. I couldn't help but notice he let his hand trail all the way down her arm first.

"See, I'd love to tell you, but I think Zelda would explode, and I don't think I could survive her wrath. So you'll just have to go on not knowing." Towards the end, she looked right at me very deliberately, leaving me a little curious and concerned about what they had been 'discussing.'

Eager to get the show on the road, I smacked the button on my bike that turned it back into a tablet and stuck it in one of my eternal pockets. I had already pulled on my tunic and belts, as well as my hat. I still thought it looked a bit ridiculous, but I couldn't deny that I still liked it. Plus, it felt right wearing the whole getup, even though it still vaguely felt like something was missing. Maybe it was whatever we'd find in the last trial.

Bidding our goodbyes to Shade and Midna (Shade had tried to put his arm around Midna's shoulders and received a quick elbow in the gut), Zelda and I stepped through the fountain barrier. This time though, Zelda managed to force her way through using her own magic. It took a little doing, but she was able to basically pull the barrier open and step right through.

"You've gotten a lot more powerful," I said as we approached the Din fountain and pushed the spot to open it. Zelda nodded in agreement.

"Lots and lots of practice has helped. It gets just a little easier every time. Controlling elements like I did last night with the water is a little trickier if its just me, but I've been able to control stuff much more easily with the Fire Rod or Ice Cannon. Feels like they act as a tether or conduit to the element I'm trying to control and makes it easier." I nodded, getting the idea of what she was saying. Let's just say it was a good thing she was the magic person and I was the guy with the sword. Sure, I could magic a bit, but Zelda had a much better grasp on it, probably due to not only being a goddess, but also being really freaking smart.

The fountain basin finished emptying and the stairs formed leading down once again. A wave of heat washed over us, sending me back a step back in surprise. "I guess we know what's going to be in here," I remarked.

"Maybe our tools will actually be useful in here. I can control fire a bit with the Fire Rod, and ice is cold," Zelda says while looking at me. She shrugged. "Worth a shot." I nodded briefly before steeling myself and took the first step down into the third and final trial.

* * *

 _Well what the shit is this? Another update? No, you're not hallucinating, you didn't time travel, you just got lucky. I know I'm spoiling you guys, but it doesn't feel right to sit on this chapter if it's already done. Especially since this one pretty much wrote itself and I know you're all waiting for the relationship stuff. So here you go, do with it what you will. That is, read it. Just read it. I don't even know what else you would do with it. Wear it as a pair of pants? Very confused._

 _But anyways, how's that chapter for you. Lot's of stuff happening here. I am of course referring to Shade and Midna, who are the most important part of the chapter. I think they're really the stars of this chapter and probably the story overall. I love the chemistry they have with each other._

 _..._

 _Okay, put down the pitchforks. No, seriously guys, stop. No, please! No! NOOOOOOO!_

 _Fine fine, Link and Zelda are adorable and I'm an ass for teasing you with an almost kiss, but it's far too soon for that. They need to have a few more life threatening moments before anything like that happens. Good thing they're going into a dungeon, where little disasters, like stubbed toes and really hot water burning your hands when you go to wash them in the sink, grow up to become dramatic, drama-inducing, life threatening moments. Also, Ganondoof shows up for a hot second. We'll see more of him later._

 _Let's get some reviews done. Not as many this time, since, you know, I haven't given you guys all that much time to review and all that. Anyways! Twilit Lord (at this point you are my certified 'first person to review every chapter.' Don't let me down), I already told you the boss name. I sneak them in while they're fighting them. So far, we have the Slime Behemoth and the Baba Demos. And yes, it was in Wind Waker, but there it was called Kalle Demos. And it also didn't spit acid. Thus, I stand by my promise to not steal bosses completely from the games! And the big bug that was the mini-boss is called a Hive Queen. No bug-dog crossover there. Sorry. Random Reader, I wasn't tracing the Triforce of Wisdom, I was following the whole thing. And technically Link and Zelda both wish on it at the end of Link Between Worlds, but whatever. Besides, what story would you rather follow? The teen who runs headlong into danger in pursuit of his goal or the teen who carefully forms strategies to overcome every obstacle? I'll stick with the Triforce of Courage for our moment to moment protagonist, thanks. Of course chivalry isn't dead, because if it was Zelda would be too. And we can't have that. Not yet at least. Foopuff, gotta love extra-dimensional pockets. Glad you like them arguing, I certainly think it's hilarious. You have the answer to how he deals with his feelings for now. Also, you should congratulate your friend. Truly a bold and noble attempt, even if it was doomed to fail. And yes, 20 chapters! I do appreciate the confetti, but you're cleaning it up. Or have Sand Seal do it, whenever he (I think he's a he) show up. Ai Star, indeed she did. That's what you get Link. Better watch what you say._

 _Not as many reviews, but I sure did take a while answering them all, didn't I? Always impressive. Remember folks, you too can have a response to a review you post on this story, you just have to post a review on the story! Simple, isn't it? And yet, so many of you don't take the opportunity. And yes, I know. Don't think you escape my gaze, Germans. I see you in my stats page. So review! Or else...yeah. Better do it. Boo. (Better act scared, for my sake at least) Or if you don't want to do that, PM me and I'll respond privately, but also more quickly. I don't care. I guess you could do both, but I'll leave that up to you. Also, while you're reviewing (because I know you are), consider following the story. That way, you can be first to the party, just like Twilit Lord. Just gotta check the little box down there. It's really easy, I promise. So review damn it. 59 people read the last chapter and I've got, effectively, 4 reviews. That's...a pretty small percentage. That I could totally figure out. I just don't feel like it. What's your excuse?! HUH?!_

 _Okay, thanks for reading. Next chapter will probably be the whole third dungeon and boss, so who knows how long that's going to take. I'm sure it'll be easy to write. Optimism! Cheers guys!_

 _-Aro_

 _(Sorry for the reupload, but my continuity was compromised, and such a thing could not stand. Thanks Nightwing!)_


	22. Chapter 22

Lucky for us, this trial was pretty straightforward. The first part was stacked like a steadily growing series of discs, kind of like the Nayru Fountain, except they got bigger as we went further down. There was only one path forward: down.

Of course, that was pretty much the only easy bit. Everything else was on fire. Slimes like we had also seen in the Nayru Fountian, except on fire and they exploded a little bit when you hit them. There were some bats, or Keese as Zelda insisted on calling them, that lit themselves on fire and launched themselves at us. I almost took one to the face, but Zelda managed to freeze it in time. Finally, there were these burrowing bastards that always seemed to pop up at the worst moments and spit small fireballs at us. Fortunately, I was able to reflect the fireballs back at them with a precise bash of my shield.

The only good thing about the nearly unceasing onslaught of enemies was that we managed to get through the first part of the dungeon pretty easily since there weren't any roadblocks or any puzzles either. We found a few chests with rupees and another Piece of Heart, but that was about it. Zelda and I got into a steady rhythm of watching each other's backs and calling out dangers from time to time. I was a blur of steel, hacking my way through anything in my way. Zelda burned and froze her way through anything I didn't get to first.

Before we knew it, we were standing on the other side of a door when it slammed shut behind us, leaving us trapped in the room with a larger than normal Fire Slime. It wasn't as big as the Slime Behemoth from the Nayru Fountain, but it probably made up for it by being very slightly explosive. There were also a handful of large holes on the ground, covered in metal mesh to helpfully keep us from falling to our deaths.

It took a few minutes, but Zelda and I found that if we could get the slime to land on one of the grates when it jumped at us, not only would its fire go out for a moment, but it held itself still, probably trying to avoid slipping through the metal beneath it. Slicing at it certainly didn't help. Every time it paused, I would hack and slice at it, shaving off as much gelatinous mass as I could and watched it slip through the mesh and plummet into the depths beneath us.

Eventually, we wore the thing down enough that it couldn't keep itself from falling through the mesh. The entire blob, which wasn't much bigger than one of the smaller Fire Slimes we had seen earlier, oozed through the grate beneath it. It even tried lighting itself on fire as it slipped through, but nothing could save it from plummeting into the darkness below. On the plus side, Zelda and I got a great view of the cataclysmic hole beneath us. Right up to the point where the slime landed with a plop. There was a positively horrifying screech from below before the light of the slime suddenly went out.

I didn't have a great feeling about the boss of this dungeon.

But at least we got some more cool magic gear for our trouble. This time it was a pair of leather gloves, kind of like our riding gloves, but with much more decorative lacing, the leather extended down to my forearms, and had large yellow gems sitting right on the wrist. Fortunately, the extra material and gems didn't hinder wrist movement at all.

With a little experimentation, I (Zelda was willing to let me have the gauntlets, since she already had two magic toys) found that I could manipulate the ground with them. Summoning pillars of dirt and rock, causing shockwaves, and even making the ground fold in on itself. I was sufficiently satisfied.

The Earth Gauntlets, as I dubbed them, proved even more helpful as we continued our spiraling path downwards. Turned out the burrowing worms that had been rather annoying earlier got really disoriented when the ground they were digging through suddenly started shifting around them. They popped right up to the surface and were promptly dealt with.

Zelda and I continued down, clearly circling the massive hole we had seen beneath the large Fire Slime room. There were even portions where we could peek down into the cavernous depths. We couldn't really see anything, due to an unfortunate combination of poor viewing angles and absolute darkness. Still, Zelda didn't have any doubts about where we were going to end up, a sentiment I reluctantly shared.

We didn't really talk as we forced our way through the endless onslaught of enemies. We each scored a few minor wounds, more annoyances than anything else, but I still felt like I had failed somehow whenever Zelda took a hit. Even if I couldn't possibly have done anything to prevent it, I forced myself to be more vigilant and watchful of danger, determined to keep her from getting hurt again. She always shrugged it off, but I could tell the pain was starting to get to her after a particularly close call with a burning Keese. When we finally reached the boss door, I suggested a quick break, so we could recover a bit, and she certainly didn't complain.

We sat against the wall with a sigh of relief, staring at the usual massive door that promised some horrible final monster. We didn't say anything as we sat there, just content to sit and relax after what had been a trying fight with seemingly endless waves of monsters. I let my eyes slide closed and just breathed until I felt recovered enough to get this blasted trial over with. I forced my eyes open and looked to my left at Zelda, who was already staring at me.

"Ready?" I asked, not feeling the need to mince words. Zelda blinked twice rapidly before turning away with a nod, cheeks tinged pink. We pushed ourselves up, cranked the final door open with the large key we had found earlier, and stepped into the darkness that quickly embraced us as the door slid shut behind us.

* * *

Glowing sconces lit in sequence along the perimeter of the room, slowly shining more and more light on the vast central cavern we were in. We could hear the tell-tale rustling of shifting dirt coming from the far side of the room. I dropped into a ready stance, shield forward and sword raised at my side. I felt the contrasting heat and cool of Zelda's magic weapons at my back and for once felt like we were actually prepared for whatever was going to try to kill us this time.

The room was completely illuminated, and the rustling had stopped for a moment before a large…snake, I guess, burst out of the ground in front of us. It didn't feel right calling it a snake though, what with the many tiny legs running along its sides and the three sets of mandibles sticking out of its face, framing a single large eye in the center of the thing's head. The whole thing was segmented by thick bands of some sort of shell armor, giving the barest hints of flesh underneath. I was figureing that was what we were going to have to aim for in order to hurt the thing when it roared the same horrible screech we had heard earlier and, as I probably should have guessed, lit itself on fire from the inside. The whole thing writhed menacingly above us before spitting a massive fireball at us and diving back underground.

And like that we were off to the races. "Zelda, can you put out that thing's fire? We might be able to get at it between those armor joints." She had been able to do something similar to some of the Fire Keese earlier, saving us from a few painful burns in the process. The, oh, I don't know, let's call it, Inferno Snake burst out of the ground in front of me and shot another fireball my way. I deflected it off to the side and saw Zelda holding the Fire Rod and concentrating. It didn't seem to do anything though, because the snake sure didn't care. It just tried to bite me, forcing me to jump out of the way before I got cut in half. The creature burrowed back underground, giving us a moment.

"I can't put it out, its just too strong," Zelda said beside me. "I think it's using its own body heat to make those fireballs and protect itself."

"Okay, so don't get eaten by it unless you want to be instantly cooked. Good to know," I muttered, watching for where it was going to pop up next. Zelda scoffed behind me, before grabbing my shoulder and spinning me around. I saw a monstrous fireball shooting towards us before a beam from the Ice Cannon dissipated it. I looked at Zelda in outrage. It didn't take a genius to realize I had just been used as a hylian shield. No, not THE Hylian Shield, like a person shield, you see? Anyway, I was offended. "What was that?!" I practically yelled at Zelda, who was stepping out from behind me.

"What?" she asked, seemingly not picking up on my outrage. "It was a fireball, I stopped it."

"Yeah, but why did you do it from behind me?!" Zelda blinked once in confusion before realizing what I meant.

"Oh, oh, sorry! I just figured you had the shield and it made more sense if you were in front. You had a better chance of surviving if I couldn't stop it in time." Zelda sputtered to a stop, apparently embarrassed. I saw the gleam of mandibles from the ground behind her before another fireball was shooting towards us. I pulled Zelda behind me and deflected the fireball back at the Inferno Snake, but it had already retreated back underground. "See, I figured you could just do that!" Zelda said. It was obvious from her tone that she felt justified in her actions. I rolled my eyes before refocusing on the elephant-sized monster in the room.

Which just so happened to be barreling straight towards us. I grabbed Zelda and dove off to the side, letting the centipede scurry past us. Come to thing of it, Inferno Centipede sounded way scarier. I didn't have any time to consider the name change though because it quickly turned itself around and came back towards us. I briefly saw that there wasn't any armor on its tail, making that a potential weak point. Of course, it was moving way too fast to try attacking. As I found out.

"How the hell are we supposed to stop this thing?" I yelled in annoyance, having just missed the tail for the third time. Zelda thought for a minute before shaking her head.

"The gauntlets, Link! Use the gauntlets!" I, of course, felt like an idiot for forgetting about the weapons I literally had strapped to my hands, but didn't let that get to me as I quickly raised a wall right in front of the creature charging towards me. It slammed into the pillar and stopped dead it its tracks. Not actually dead, but definitely stunned enough to let me get behind it and slash at its unarmored tail before it retreated back underground.

Strategy firmly in hand, it basically became a waiting game. Avoid fireballs, let the thing charge at us, and stun it to let me attack its rear. Which worked great. Until it didn't.

It was a moment like any other: fighting a demonic flaming centipede, making it crash into walls, when suddenly it decided 'nah, not a big fan of stopping in front of walls, I think I'll go through it.' Which it did, blasting apart my dirt wall with a fireball, barreling through the now destroyed wall, and coming straight at me. Fortunately, I managed to turn a little bit and get my shield up, so I didn't get completely cut in half, but I still got a nasty slice across my chest.

And by nasty, I do mean a horribly agonizing gash across my upper chest that sent pain screaming through my body. It was all I could do to drop myself to the floor slightly more gently and keep my screaming to a minimum. Which was still a lot of screaming, but oh well.

I vaguely heard Zelda doing something before she appeared over me, hands shaking above my bleeding gash. Which was probably for the best, because there was a lot of blood. All I could think was that I had completely ruined my new tunic, because there was no way I was going to be able to get this bloodstain out. I made myself focus on Zelda, who suddenly had a focused look on her face and told me to sit still, because, hey, maybe I felt like doing the polka as my innards became outards. Of course, I would have stopped quickly, because Zelda closed her eyes, held her right hand towards my chest, and started glowing.

Golden light streamed though her hand and spiraled down towards my bleeding wound. The light was warm, gentle, soothing as it penetrated my skin and flowed around the wound. I couldn't help but scream though as my torn flesh started knitting itself back together. It felt like when your foot falls asleep, except way, way worse. I could see Zelda cringing at my screams of pain, but she kept her eyes closed and pushed more of her magic into my wound.

The pain slowly faded away as my flesh finished knitting itself back together. I took a few deep breaths to steady my erratic breathing. Zelda slumped over slightly, likely tired from healing me. I pushed myself upright when I heard a shattering noise from the side of the cavernous room. The Inferno Centipede sat on the other side of the room, shaking of the last bits of ice on its tail. It didn't take a genius to figure out how Zelda had trapped it to buy a little time. Catching sight of us, it started speeding its way towards me and the collapsed Zelda. I couldn't possibly move Zelda in time, so I resorted to plan B. Kill this bastard before it could hurt her.

I slammed one of the Earth Gauntlets into the ground, sending a shockwave towards the many legged abomination. I succeeded in knocking it off balance enough to slow it down slightly, giving me a chance to focus my strength into the gloves on my hands. I swung my arm in an uppercut motion, willing the ground to mimic my movements.

The earth beneath the slowed centipede immediately erupted as a column of dirt and rock burst out and crashed into the bottom of the monster's head. Grabbing my sword off the ground, I again used the gauntlets to lift myself above the monster. Once I was high enough, I jumped off my elevated perch into a forward somersault, trying to get as much force behind my blade as I could. I plummeted towards the dazed creature as it looked vacantly up at me. I saw awareness return to its single monstrous eye a second before I buried my sword to the hilt in its head. I again used the Earth Gauntlets to give me a small slope to bounce off of to get away from the flailing flaming fiend.

The creature flailed and thrashed with my sword still embedded in its eye. Its tail was moving so erratically that I had to throw up a quick dirt wall to keep us from being hit by it. Eventually, the thing smashed into the wall, which seemed to be the last straw, as the monster shuddered once and fell to the ground before crumbling to ash. Satisfied we were finally out of danger, I turned to Zelda, who was slowly pushing herself upright.

"Hey, you okay?" I quickly asked, dropping to the ground next to her. She nodded absentmindedly, looking over herself then around her before her eyes settled on me and the massive tear that adorned the front of my tunic. She gasped and touched my blood covered chest, feeling the now smooth skin that was there. Once she was sure the blood that stained my skin and shirt wasn't still coming out of my body, she threw her arms around me, knocking me backwards in the process.

"Thank the Goddesses you're alright," she said, her voice slightly muffled as she pressed her face into me. "I've been experimenting with using my powers to heal wounds, but I didn't know if I could do it that well or even manage it on such a large wound." She took a shuddering breath before looking up at me. "I was so scared." I could almost hear my heart tear itself in half for her.

I hesitantly wrapped my arms around her slightly shaking shoulders, squeezing her gently. "I'm okay, I'm fine. Good as new, see?" I looked down at my own chest and wiped away some of the drying blood. The only trace of the injury was a slight scar that ran across the upper part of my pectorals. "You saved my life, you know? There was no way I was going to be able to kill that thing if you hadn't been here." Zelda just sniffled slightly, playing with the torn edges of my tunic.

"I doubt that. You would have found some way to beat it. You always seem to be able to beat anything."

"That's because…" I trailed off, not wanting to speak the words on my mind.

"Because what?" Zelda was quick to catch my slip up.

"…well, who'd save the world if I died? Shade? Goddesses forbid, Sheik? I think the world would be better off ended than in the hands of either of them. No, I think it's for the best that I manage to pull through." Zelda was laughing now, head still pressed against my chest and my slip up completely forgotten. I couldn't help but join her.

"My gosh, you are the most ridiculous person." She pushed herself upright and looked down on me. I would have been entranced, well, more entranced, if it hadn't been for the copious amounts of blood covering her cheek, clothes, and hair.

"Zelda," I said. She hummed in response, still looking down at me. "You've got a little something…there," I said, motioning to the entire left side of her where most of the blood was. It took her a minute before she realized what she meant, but quickly figured it out and moved herself off me completely, which both relieved and saddened me. With a small burst of power and a wave of her hand, the blood flowed off of her body and dropped to the floor, leaving her clothes clean, skin perfect, and her hair returned to its normal white-blonde shade. I looked down to see she had done the same for me, leaving my skin a lot less sticky than it had been a moment before. I also noticed something else.

"Thanks for fixing my tunic too. It'd be a shame if I destroyed it right away." She quirked her head slightly, looking confused.

"I didn't fix it. I just got rid of the blood." She considered my mended tunic for a moment. It really was as good as new, without even a trace of the slash in the material or any sign of repair. "It must repair itself over time. Otherwise, there's no way it would still be intact, especially if previous heroes used it on their quests." Well that sure was handy. It was then that I finally remembered where we were and what we were doing.

After retrieving the Heart Container from where the Inferno Centipede died, we went over to the raised dais that had appeared in the center of the room. The top portion of the pillar had slid open revealing a cavity inside.

Two beautifully made leather bracers lay inside on a bed of steel links. I pulled them out and could feel metal plates sewn inside them, likely to give them more strength. Two leather gloves had been under the bracers and fit on my hands like, well, gloves. I pulled out the metal links and found that it was an intricate set of chainmail. A few quick readjustments later, I had the chainmail shirt between my undershirt and green tunic and had replaced the Earth Gauntlets with the new bracers. Pulling out the worn boots that sat in the bottom of the box, I finally felt…right. Everything was where it was supposed to be. The boots were comfortable and fitted to my feet. The bracers were light, and I could even fit the Earth Gauntlets over them if I wanted to. The chainmail offered a comforting weight on my shoulders and promised to offer more protection than just the tunic had. It peeked out from beneath the green garment, adding just a bit of silver to my outfit. Green cap firmly in place, I definitely felt like a hero.

"Wow," Zelda said, looking over my finally completed outfit. She snapped a quick photo and showed it to me. There wasn't much change from the one she had taken in the Farore Fountain, but I really did look good. I pulled out my sword and swung it around a little, getting a feel for how it would feel to fight someone. Going without the Earth Gauntlets, I felt perfect. My forms blended from one to the next, nothing hindering my movements as I swung, sliced, and rolled around imaginary enemies. Everything came together to benefit me in one way or another. Satisfied that I was indeed an unstoppable killing machine, I did a quick flourish with my sword and slid it smoothly back into its sheath on my back.

"Well, I think that's about it," I said, cheerily. Having my Hero's outfit complete had put me in a fantastic mood. "Ready to go?" Zelda nodded her head in affirmation.

"I've had quite enough of being underground for now, I think. The sooner we get out the better." I couldn't agree with her more. But as we exited the massive boss chamber, I realized one horrible, devastating fact.

We had spent all our time in the dungeon steadily going down. Which meant we now had to go up to get out. Which was going to suck. A lot. Zelda and I groaned as we both realized this inevitable fact and started plodding back up to the surface.

But as we walked, I couldn't help but think back on my aborted sentence earlier. Yeah Zelda, I always managed to beat any enemy, fight off any foe. She had said as much. But it wasn't just that I had defeated everything I came up against.

I needed to be able to destroy any threat I faced, because they were a threat to Zelda. And I would do anything I had to to protect her.

* * *

 _Hope you guys are all feeling that ending, it took some work to get it just right._

 _Hello all, welcome back to the best story you've ever read! Okay probably not, but I like to pretend. Hope you are all having a good time. I know I am. School hates me and I have tests to study for, but hey, writing is fun, so let's do that instead. I'm honestly surprised at how quickly I managed to get this written, it's only been *checks last posted date* a while. But not that long. Like, 10 days. Is that right? How the hell did I manage that? No idea, but I'm sure someone appreciates it, so I won't question it._

 _Hmm, how do some reviews sound to you guys? Nightwing,it is indeed another review! You've also broken Twilit Lord's streak of being the first person to review, so, uh...here's a pat on the back or something. I'm really glad you like the chemistry between all the characters, I have no idea how I come up with some of this stuff. And yes, the girls in the pool would indeed be freaking out, but I forgot to write in that they had already left. Which I fixed, as you might have noticed. So thank's for that! Twilit Lord, not entirely sure what your 'whoops' is referencing, so I'm just going to go with yes. I'm glad you have no idea what's coming next. I know, of course, but I'm not telling. Not yet at least. Also, I'm not sure living in another time zone is an excuse. Unless you're one of those people who sleep. In which case, we have nothing to talk about anyways. (Just kidding, I love sleep so much) Ultimate, indeed! Thanks. Dark Link, stalkers, oh no. Whatever shall I do? I mean, other than torture them for information about how they found me. After that of course. Not sure how you expect me to write a chapter while being tortured though. Why don't you try it first and let me know how it goes? That way I have time to prepare a bit. Ai Star, it was indeed a good try, but who's to say it didn't work? We'll find out next chapter. Foopuff, I KNOW RIGHT?! Men, total idiots. Why did they pack swimsuits, you ask? Well you can't very well have a pool scene without a swimsuit. I mean, you can, but that's a different type of story. I agree with everything else too. It would be interesting to see a little bit from Zelda's point of view, but this story is only from Link's perspective. I could write a series of alternate chapters from Zelda's point of view as a sort of side work though, so let me know if you would want to see that. I agree that it would be fun to see what she's thinking, but at the same time, I'm not sure how well I could write a girl's internal monologue. Since I have absolutely no experience with how girls think. Thank you fro reminding me about Vaati, he will be making a comeback, which I thought of because you mentioned him. No spoilers as to how he will be back though. Quick side note, you also may have inspired an entire middle portion of this story that had been a glaring void begging to be filled, so thanks for that! Sand Seal, you did indeed forget to review, my heart was broken. Only an abundance of candy corn barely managed to reform it back into something resembling a human organ. This is your fault! YOU'RE FEEDING MY ADDICTION! But I know the feeling of too many tests, so I'll give you a pass. This time. I'm always happy to hear you, or anyone really, likes my writing style, because it is definitely something I feel insecure about sometimes. Same goes for the battle scenes. I have a very elaborate picture of how everything happens in my head, so I'm glad I can convey how epic the scenes are in my head and still be comprehensible. You have no idea how glad I am to torture you with that almost kiss scene. They were so close too. It almost happened. But it didn't. Hehehehheeheh. Soon, don't worry. That's kind of a weird, funny mistake to make, but its as good an excuse as any._

 _Ready for your random raving before the hint at the next chapter? Good. Any of you watch anime? I figure there has to be at least a few of you. If you haven't watched Jojo's Bizarre Adventure (for some unfathomable reason), you definitely should. Because that shit is priceless. Because the memes! GUYS, THE MEMES! I looked up 'but it was me, Dio' memes last night, and oh my gosh, I was not disappointed. So damn funny. And let's not forget about "ZA WARUDO!" Ah, I love it so much. Send help and more Jojo's music. And definitely watch it! For it is the ultimate anime!_

 _Okay, that's out of my system. Let's see next chapter is going to be...*makes up some stuff* ah, yes, the event that I totally had planned for the last few months and definitely didn't just come up with on the spot. Just kidding, I've been looking forward to the next chapter for a while now. And I really want to write it, thus the super condensation of the Din Fountain. Hope you guys aren't disappointed though, it's just a simple combat dungeon. The Din Fountain that is. Not the next chapter. Gosh, I'm a mess. Next time, we get to see what Shade and Midna have been up to *wink wink*, and head back to the Temple of Time. And there's going to be quite a bit of progression in terms of...well, basically everything. Plot, power, romance...it'll all be there! So be there or be square! TO BE CONTINUED!_

 _-Aro_


	23. Chapter 23

I called Shade once we finally made it back outside. And once the burning in my legs reached a more manageable level. I didn't want to begin thinking about how many stories I had just climbed.

Shade said he and Midna were still on a tour of the college and were planning to get dinner afterwards, which I graciously invited Zelda and myself to. I could tell that wasn't what Shade wanted, but I was hungry and needed a distraction from our quest, so to the restaurant we went. Again, I changed out of my heroing gear beforehand, even though I looked like a total badass.

We all decided to go to a local pizza place that the college tour guide apparently said was the best around. I didn't have anything to compare it to, but I was willing to believe that Mario's held that spot. Not just based on taste either. I've never seen a slice of pizza as loaded with toppings as whatever Shade got.

Of course, Shade and I made slight jabs at each other about each of our preferred female company the entire time. But in my defense, he started it. We somehow managed to keep the girls from catching on, which might have been the most impressive feat of the day.

Once we were done, we all went back to the motel Shade and Midna were staying at. Midna even invited us to stay with them, since there were two beds. I don't think anyone misunderstood the implications behind the offer, but I was completely content to keep my mouth shut about it, a sentiment apparently shared by everyone else as well.

Of course, a slight problem arose when I stuck my arm into one of my magic pouches to pull out a change of clothes and Midna saw my arm disappear into a bag that should only have fit up to my wrist. It was the only time I ever saw someone do a quadruple take.

"What in the bloody fucking hell is that?" she asked. I could definitely see why Shade liked her. She had the same foul mouth he did.

"Uh…..nothing?" I stammered out, pulling my arm free of the bag, clean shirt in hand. Midna immediately grabbed the pouch from me and peered inside. After conducting her own thorough test of how it worked and pulling everything she could find out of it, she looked in awe at the pile of weapons and bits and bobs we had collected. Shade got back from his trip to a nearby convenience store just then and looked at the pile.

"Well, at least some of that is new. The hell are these?" he asked, grabbing the Earth Gauntlets from the top of the pile. I quickly snatched them from him before he accidentally caused an earthquake. I didn't know if he could use magic, but I wasn't taking the risk.

"Very dangerous, no touch," I said quickly, holding them away from my twin's grasping hands. Of course, as soon as he realized he couldn't grab them back, he immediately picked up the Ice Cannon. I immediately started playing an elaborate game of keep-away with him until Zelda came out of the bathroom, freshly showered. Of course, she was in the middle of shoving a large bottle of shampoo into another one of my magic pouches, which didn't really help the situation.

"Alright, so what the actual fuck is going on here?" Midna asked, having finished her inspection of all the dangerous magical items in our possession. "I think there's something you've forgotten to tell me, Shadren," she said in a sickeningly sweet voice. I would have been more concerned with someone else finding out what our mission was, but I was too busy being surprised that someone had called Shade by his full name and they were still standing. Much like myself, he was not a fan of his full name, but he was a little more violent in his protests. At least, he usually was. He must really be a fan of Midna's.

"Um, well, it's that…I guess….any help here? It is your quest," Shade said to me, apparently thinking he was going to get some form of help from me. Oh, how wrong he was. I just smiled at him with the biggest shit eating grin I could manage.

"Oh, for the Goddesses' sake Link, at least try to be helpful," Zelda said, brushing her long hair straight. I briefly thought that I wished I could be the one doing that but relented with a sigh.

"Fine, fine." So for the next half hour, I explained the basics of our journey and what was going on. Midna listened quietly for the entire time, and Shade was fascinated by the boss monsters we had faced. I came to the end of the story and Midna turned to Zelda, who was sitting next to me on one of the beds.

"So, you can use magic? Can I see? I've always wanted to see what other people could do, but it's hard to find people who can use magic that well." She had been extremely attentive when I described the magic weapons we had found, and I could tell she wanted to see them in action. Zelda nodded, and stretched out her hand. Golden motes immediately started to glow above her palm and streams of brilliant light twisted and spiraled into the air. They contorted and shaped themselves until a beautiful flower made of light hovered in the middle of the room. Zelda snapped her fingers and the whole thing burst apart and disappeared. Midna was in awe.

"How? How are you that powerful? I've been practicing for years, and I can't do anything close to that. And you discovered your magic, what, a few days ago? How the fuck can you do that?" Midna grabbed Zelda's hand and turned it over, as if the answer was on the back of her hand. Zelda just shrugged and grabbed the Fire Rod.

"That's not all. It's easier with one of the conduits, but I can control flame and heat, ice and water, and now presumably the earth too." This really surprised Midna.

"That's impossible. No one can use multiple kinds of magic. You're limited to one kind. Like me, I can only use shadow magic. Vaati, the prick, can only use wind magic." Zelda immediately proved her wrong by conjuring a fireball in one hand and an icicle in the other, both floating above her outstretched palms before she made them disappear. "Incredible," Midna said in a hushed whisper. She focused for a moment before a small sphere of pure darkness appeared over her left hand. "Can you use shadow magic too?"

Zelda seemed to consider it and tried but couldn't get anything to appear. "I guess not," she said, thoughtful. "Probably because I'm a light goddess, I can't control dark magic." Midna startled for a moment, before nodding slightly.

"I forgot you said you were a goddess. I guess that makes sense then. But hah, at least I'm not completely useless. I can do something you can't, Miss Divinity." She looked very satisfied with a ridiculously smug grin on her face and a ball of shadow floating around her hand. I could see the challenge in Zelda rise at the barb, and she waved her fingers at Midna briefly. A beam of gold light shot from her fingers and hit the shadow orb, immediately dispersing it. She smiled slightly and leaned back on her hands.

"Oh, what was that? Better than me, you say? I don't think so." Midna instantly shot back a nefarious grin.

"It's on."

The next half hour consisted of the girls running around the room, shooting small bolts of magic at each other while Shade and I halfheartedly watched a movie on TV, often glancing over as the girls bounced around. Not that Monty Python wasn't always great, but neither one of us was fool enough to pass up watching the girls' 'fight' as it went on. Eventually, they dropped to one of the beds, panting from the magic and running around. They then proceeded to play around with the Fire Rod, Ice Cannon, and Earth Gauntlets. The room went from steaming to freezing to filthy to ridiculously clean in less time than it took to conduct a witch trial.

"That," Midna said, twirling a cloud of dirt around her gauntleted fingers, "is way too much fun." Zelda nodded in agreement, creating fireballs and ice clusters and smashing them together. Then Midna said something that really caught my attention. "What if you used all three of them at the same time? What do you think you could do?" We hadn't even considered using all three of the weapons in conjunction, mainly because we hadn't really had time.

Zelda strapped on the Earth Gauntlets and hefted the Fire Rod and Ice Cannon in her hands. She focused for a moment before the dirt Midna had been playing with floated towards her into a rough sphere. She conjured a ball of heat and flame and another of ice and water. The three hovered in front of her in a line before slowly orienting themselves into a triangle. Fire on top, ice on Zelda's left, and the earth sphere to her right. The three floated there for a moment before Zelda's own golden power wove between them. From Zelda's glowing eyes and smooth movements, I could tell it was mostly the goddess inside her doing this. Midna reached out to stop her, but I quickly grabbed her hand, holding it away from the glowing magic.

The three orbs of magic were completely surrounded by golden energy, which wrapped around them to form the symbol of the Triforce in front of Zelda. She raised her hands, still holding the Fire Rod and Ice Cannon and wearing the Earth Gauntlets and smashed all three into the image burning in front of her. There was a blinding light and a quiet thud, almost like the distant roll of thunder, before the light faded and Zelda slumped to the side, eyes closed. I quickly went to steady her and glanced at Midna and Shade to see what they thought of the whole event. Midna looked stunned. Shade was asleep.

Looking back to Zelda, I found that the three weapons she had been holding had disappeared and had been replaced by some strange mix of all of them. It was a staff, its core made up of the same red wood as the Fire Rod, and the large Fire's Ember remained at the top. Twisting around the Fire's Ember were what sort of looked like vines made of leather straps, wrapping around the staff back and forth until they reached the bottom and entwined around the two yellow gems that had adorned the Earth Gauntlets. Back at the top were what looked like flower petals, made from the blue-white metal that had constructed the Ice Cannon, with a darker blue towards the base of the 'petals' and white at the tips. Just under the Fire's Ember were the gems from the Ice Cannon, dark blue and striking against the metal and again wrapped around slightly by the leather straps. A few decorative metal flanges sloped down and away from the staff. Two bands of the blue metal also ran the length of the rod until they met the beginning of the twisting brown straps.

The whole thing looked incredible and hummed with power.

Zelda shook herself awake, groaning slightly and holding her head. She looked up at me and flushed red. "I've got to stop doing that. I feel like such a wuss, constantly waking up out of a magic induced daze in your arms."

"I don't mind," I said before I could stop myself. Zelda blinked repeatedly, holding eye contact with me, before she pushed herself upright looked down at the staff she had, for lack of a better word, forged.

She quickly turned it around, inspecting every inch of it. Midna leaned over too, eager to look at the staff. Zelda held it firmly and gasped slightly. "I can feel the magic coursing through it. Even more than when they were separate." She swung the staff slightly and instantly summoned a roaring cloud of flame. I could see hints of golden power flickering around the edges, guiding and forming the fire. Zelda dissipated the inferno and summoned a cloud of lights. The gold of her goddess powers was much richer than usual, and the glowing orbs were larger and more numerous as well. "My light magic is much stronger too."

"That's incredible," I said, taking the staff from her. I tried something similar, but it didn't have quite the same effect. I was able to create a larger fireball than usual, but it didn't have the power Zelda's did, nor did it show any gold in the flames. Midna tried her hand as well but was hardly able to summon anything. She and Zelda thought it might be due to the fact that the staff was made with light magic and Midna used shadow. Compatibility, or something like that.

I left the girls to experiment and went over to join Shade on the couch pressed against one of the walls. He cracked his eye open when I sat down. "What'd I miss?" he asked. Cheeky bastard.

"The girls got a new toy and are playing with it." I realized a second late how horribly that could be taken. Of course, Shade did just that.

"Oh, is that something we're not allowed to watch? I won't tell we snuck a peek if you don't." I promptly shoved him off the couch, rolling my eyes as he laughed his ass off.

We all talked for a little bit that night about what we would all do next, even calling Hunter and Sheik to see what they were thinking. We came to the conclusion that, at least for the moment, there wasn't really anything else they could do, and Zelda and I just had to head back to the Temple. The other four would head back home. Zelda and I would leave for the Temple of Time first thing in the morning. And so, after very specifically not talking about the sleeping arrangements, we all tucked in for the night.

* * *

I woke up first, and, seeing Zelda curled up on the other side of the bed and laying on one of my arms, carefully extracted myself to not disturb her sleep. I looked to the other bed to see Shade and Midna both sprawled across the bed at several odd angles, something that Shade always did. Looked like those two were basically made for each other. I took a quick shower before anyone else got up.

Within an hour or so of everyone waking up, we were all packed up and ready to go. Zelda was suited up in her ridiculously flattering biking gear, something that Midna made fun of her endlessly for, and I was wearing most of my heroing gear and my leather jacket. I was told by Zelda that it all went together pretty well, which Midna also teased her about. We all said our goodbyes and said we'd meet up back home in a day or so, depending on how things turned out.

Having fully fueled the Master Cycle, we said goodbye one last time and, with Zelda's arms wrapped around my waist, we drove south.

* * *

Okay, again, not that I don't love my motorcycle, but eight hours is a long time to sit on one. Sure, it wasn't terrible. Zelda and I talked and listened to music thanks to something in the helmets that blocked out the whistling of the wind and let us hear each other, but it was still a lot.

Regardless, we made it to the Temple about ten hours after we left the Din District of Hyrule City, just as the majority of people were leaving. The Temple was open 24/7, but most people didn't want to worship the gods at seven at night.

We stepped into the dimly lit Temple of Time and made our way to the front where the main altar was. We made eye contact with one of the priestesses who immediately hurried over to us.

"Let the Sheikah know that the Hero and Hylia are here and have finished all the trials," I said as Zelda took a seat in a nearby pew. To her credit, the young priestess didn't ask any questions, just hurried off to inform the Elders. Maybe she had been told to expect us. Or maybe we were just that imposing, fully decked out in my full Hero gear and Zelda carrying the Divine Scepter as I chose to call it. Maybe that name was a little over the top, but it definitely fit the thing.

Zelda and I were waiting in one of the pews, looking around the Temple. They lowered the lights inside at night to allow for a more atmospheric feeling, leaving the only bright sources of light various braziers scattered around. If they were looking for a warmer vibe, they definitely did a good job of it.

"Excuse me, you two, but how are you doing?" Zelda and I turned in surprise to see an average looking man with a hint of a beard and short brown hair standing at the end of our pew. The odd thing was, we had heard no sign of his approach in the very nearly silent temple. It was as if he had just…appeared.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" I asked, somewhat cautious of starting up a conversation with a mysterious stranger. The stranger startled slightly.

"You mean you don't…oh wait, never mind, you're not one of those kinds of people. No, I'm sorry, completely my fault. I am Oliver," he said with a sweeping bow, "and I'm somewhat of a fan of yours. Of both of you, actually. So delighted to make your acquaintances for, well, I guess for you it's the first time. It all gets so confusing. So many possibilities and places to visit. Anyway, just wanted to stop in and say 'great job, buckle your pants, and good luck.' I'll just be on my way then." He abruptly turned around and started walking towards the entrance. "Where should I go next then? Maybe that place with all the…ah, what do they call them? Coat racks? No, that's not right. Hat holders? Definitely not. Ah, and its got that constantly changing color scheme. That shit gives me such a headache. And what was that guy thinking, making everyone stand in silly poses all the time. Sure, it looks cool, but its so…weird…." The strange man trailed off as he left the temple, leaving Zelda and me thoroughly confused.

"What the heck?" she said from next to me. I could only nod in agreement. Whoever that guy was, he was weird as hell. We only had a minute to ponder the strange Oliver though, as the priestess returned with the head Sheikah Monk and an older woman in ornate garb. All three bowed to Zelda as they approached.

"Your Grace, I am glad to see you well. You as well, Hero," the monk said, straightening himself from his bow. "This is the High Priestess of the Temple of Time, Imani and one of our acolytes, Theresa. I hope what she sees today will strengthen her faith in the Divine Three." High Priestess Imani straightened from her bow slowly and Theresa did the same, though considerably slower, clearly unsure as to her actions. I caught her eye and gave her a slight smile, hoping to reassure her that we weren't all that the Head Monk was making us out to be. She suddenly blushed and ducked her head again, nervously playing with her fingers.

"Thank you for meeting with us again, Monk…" Zelda trailed off, unsure as to the Sheikah elder's name, something I realized I didn't know either. He gave a short laugh, realizing his mistake.

"I am Mas Koshia, Elder of the Sheikah Monks. There is also Impa, our Shadowmaster and head of Sheikah forces, but she is at the Castle, standing guard over the Royal Family." We nodded, unsure of what else to do. Imani was examining us with extreme scrutiny, especially Zelda, and Theresa was still standing nervously off to the side. "I am glad to see you have completed all the Trials, Link. Though I had no doubt, this proves you are truly the Hero and are ready to embrace your role. And Zelda, your Grace, I see you have grown in your own way as well," he said, sounding somewhat impressed and looking at the staff in her hands.

"Yes, I managed to combine the three magic tools we found in the trials…somehow. All of my magic is stronger with it, but especially my light magic. Why is that?" she asked. I guess she and Midna hadn't been able to figure everything out about it. Maz nodded sagely.

"The staff you carry is, in part, created out of your own power, as yours was the magic that bound the three powers together. It is only natural that it acts as a conduit to amplify your own powers. What more, the trinity of fire, water, and earth reflect the natures of the Golden Goddesses, who are the source of light magic itself. When the three come together, they form a powerful bond and feed off each other, further amplifying such magic."

"Is that why my Twili friend who uses shadow magic, couldn't use it as well?" At this question, Maz Koshia looked somewhat concerned.

"Yes, that would be the case. Shadow is the opposite of light and the two have difficulty working in tandem. I was aware that there was a Twili in your school, but I didn't know she was gifted. We shall have to look into her more. The Twili and Sheikah have worked both with and against each other in the past. She could be a valuable ally or a dangerous enemy to you. We will keep an eye on her." Vaguely unsettled, I decided to shift the conversation.

"So, what was it you wanted me to come back here for? You keep hinting at it but won't tell me what it is that you want from me." Monk Koshia shook himself slightly and focused on me.

"Indeed Link, I think we've had enough with vague hints. You are here to obtain your last and greatest weapon. High Priestess, if you would," he said, turning to the women next to him. She nodded and walked towards the large circular area in the middle of the temple, the part that I remembered was supposed to be part of the original structure.

High Priestess Imani's hands started to glow with light magic and she made motions towards the center of the circle. She stopped after a moment and we all waited as nothing happened. Just as I was thinking of asking what we were doing, the symbol of the Triforce lit up in the center of the disk and glowed as the whole thing split into three pieces and slowly started sliding away, revealing a hole beneath the circle.

Once the three plates had finished retracting, there was a deep groaning sound from beneath us, as if old machinery was shifting. Slowly, I could see something emerging from the depths and felt a strange mounting excitement within myself. Another plate was rising towards us, though this one was in much better condition than the last had been. Six detailed emblems were placed in a circle around a central, incredibly embellished carving of the Triforce. Unlike normal though, the empty upside-down triangle was raised instead of depressed like you normally see. And in the center was…something I couldn't make out yet, but I could feel it. It called to me.

We all waited with bated breaths as the stone crept higher and higher until it shifted into place with a quiet thud. But I didn't care. Zelda was peering at the carvings on the disk. I didn't care. Maz Koshia, High Priestess Imani, and Theresa were all looking at me. I didn't care. I was fixated on what was in the middle of the raised Triforce.

Cold gleaming metal. A sloping purple guard. Glittering yellow gemstone. Green wrapped hilt.

It was calling me.

Background noise fell away. Anything could have been happening in the background and I wouldn't have noticed. The only thing that existed was my left hand and the Sword, and the two were being inexorably drawn together.

My palm made contact with the hilt of the sword, I knew. This was my sword. No one else could lay claim to this blade. It was mine. Only mine. My fingers wrapped around the grip and I could hear the blade hum in my hand. My other hand joined the first. I could almost hear what the sword was saying. 'Use me. Swing me. We are one.' I pulled.

Nothing. The sword didn't move. I pulled again. No movement. I could still feel the sword, it was still calling to me. But it was waiting. Waiting for something. Again, I could feel it asking me 'Why?'

Why? What did it mean, why? To save the world. To defeat evil! What other reason was there? But the Sword didn't relent. I released it, feeling like I was letting go of a lifeline, and stepped back.

"It wouldn't come out." I was shocked, and everyone else seemed to be too.

"What do you mean?" The High Priestess was incredulous. "The Master Sword is the Hero's blade. It answers to him, and only him. Why would it refuse his call? Unless…" I knew what she was concluding, but Zelda and Maz quickly jumped in.

"Link is the Hero," Zelda said, firm in her belief. Her tone was the one that didn't leave any room for argument and promised nothing good to anyone who crossed her on it. "I've seen him do things he shouldn't be able to, I've been with him on his trials, and I…...I just know. My heart knows." Maz also intervened.

"Only the Hero could have obtained the Hero's garb and tools. The trials were made for him and him alone. While someone could have possibly, with an extraordinary amount of luck, made it through one of them, they never would have survived all three if they weren't the Hero." Imani hesitantly stepped down, still eyeing me with a hint of distrust. I didn't care though.

My sword had rejected me. I needed its help and it refused. I felt more betrayed than I ever thought possible.

"Oh my, that is awkward. What's a man without his sword?" A taunting voice came from the entrance of the Temple of Time. I spun around, drawing my sword and shield and facing the entrance. I heard and felt Zelda's powers activate and expand, surrounding us in a thin barrier of light. The two priestesses gasped, but my focus wasn't on them. "I guess you're just not a great fit for the whole hero thing."

A man stepped out of the shadows, walking smoothly towards our protective bubble. He wasn't massive, but the muscles I could see were extremely toned. His hair was pitch black and extended in a loose sheet to the middle of his back. He wore boots, loose pants, and a form fitting shirt, all various tones of grey or black. He had two long, thin blades at his waist and a variety of knives all over his belt. With just a quick count, I saw more than six. Finally, he had one massive, pitch black blade strapped across his back, almost as thick as his head. I could hardly believe he could walk with the thing on him.

"I was just supposed to keep an eye on you, but this is too good to pass up. The little hero, defenseless. I could almost laugh. If only my master could see you now."

"Who the hell are you?" I spat angrily. This guy's constant taunting was getting on my nerves. I knew I should calm down, but he just riled me up.

"I suppose I could introduce myself. Let you hold on to life a little bit longer." My ire grew ever higher. "My name is Moroth. I'm a servant of the great God of Destruction and Chaos, Ruin. In an age long past, he was known as Demise and sought to cast down the self-proclaimed 'Golden Goddesses' and bring those upstart bitches under his heel where they belonged. Alas, my master was delayed by the ridiculous scheme of another upstart goddess, who protected the land of Hyrule, the great whore Hylia. She cast herself into the scum and dirt of Hylians, devoted herself to one, and called it love. Can you imagine?" The bastard stopped his surprisingly bland monologue and grinned a crooked smile. It was the first sign of actual emotion he had displayed so far.

"But now the lingering powers of that harlot are weak. And my master rises again, recreated even more powerful than before. He doesn't need puppets anymore. At last, he can come back to this foul land and crush it under his heel as he should have all those millennia ago." He sent a condescending glare my way again. "And the only possible threat to him is a boy who can't even use a sword. Pitiful. Forced to rely on the whore who selfishly drags you back from death time and time again."

I finally couldn't take any more. With a roar of rage, I dashed out of the protective shield of Zelda's power and swung my blade at the man. His eyes flared red as he laughed and drew one of his thin blades. I slashed and hacked at him but couldn't make it past his sword. After a few more deflected slashes, I realized he was playing with me. It just fueled my rage more and I swung at him harder. By now, any sense of tact was gone and I was a swirling mass of rage and anger.

Finally, I managed to catch him off guard and knocked away his dancing sword with my shield. I jabbed my blade forward and scored a light scratch on his arm. I looked down at the scratch and, with an annoyed growl, smashed his sword down on mine. I held my own sword at an angle, hoping to deflect it and leave him exposed again, but his sword crashed straight through mine, shattering it into splinters. He immediately followed with a strong kick to my torso that forced the air from my lungs and sent me soaring back through Zelda's shield and against the pedestal of the Sword.

"And now you don't even have a stick to swing at me. How ironic that at my master's revival, his age-old enemy would be so weak. He was almost looking forward to a fight, you know? Imagine how disappointed he will be when I show him your severed head." The monster was gloating as he walked up to Zelda's shield. His finger traced along it and smoked at the contact. He examined his burned finger with a detached air of someone examining a curiosity. "Quaint, but weak. I should be destroyed just by touching it. I see now that it is not only the whelp that is pitiful." He pulled a thick knife from his belt as I finally managed to regain my breath and realized I had lost the broken remains of my sword at some point. Moroth dragged the knife across the golden barrier and we were all struck dumb when it passed right through.

"Really just a shame," he said absentmindedly. With a snap of his wrist, he threw the knife. It moved so quickly I couldn't see where it flew.

Until I heard a pained gasp and the shield evaporated. My blood ran ice cold. My head slowly turned to see Zelda standing in shock as a growing patch of red appeared around the knife in her abdomen.

The world slowed down so I could see every pained twinge on her face as she looked at me and dropped her Divine Scepter.

My world shattered as she dropped to the cold stone floor.

* * *

 _*muttering* Okay, hit post and lock the vault. Just hit post and lock the vault. They can't get me if I'm in the vault. Why does the button say 'posted'?_

 _OH FUCK, HI GUYS. WHAT'S UP? LOOK, I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE ALL PISSED BUT I CAN EXPLAIN. *slowly backs towards vault* PLUS, I HAVE GOOD NEWS. LINK WON'T HAVE TO MOURN ZELDA FOR LONG. HE'S ABOUT TO HAVE HIS HEAD REMOVED! SO THEY'LL BE TOGETHER. IT'LL BE FINE. SOOOO...BYE! *makes mad dash for control console, but is *ahem* unfortunately stopped by Foopuff shooting it as Sand Seal tackles me and proceeds to eat my face while everyone else stands around and eats popcorn*_

 _._

 _._

 _._

 _You have no idea how badly I want to just leave the author's note like that. But I think I'll do a full one to hopefully numb the pain of me killing off Zelda._

 _Quick reviews while the electric fence holds all of you back. Sand Seal, glad you like it. And I hope my face tasted as good as all that candy corn you're not sharing with me because you're a bad person. And yes, this is a game. A very fun one that I'm playing with your emotions. And I'm winning. Ultimate, thank you! Nightwing, yeah, it's a lot of chapter, but this one is longer. I'd say more happens here too. Yeah, Zelda's kind of always checking Link out, though we'll see that more in the chapters I do from Zelda's perspective. Thanks for the well wishes on the tests, I didn't fail any, which is good for my sanity. It could certainly use a little boost sometimes. Twilit Lord, no, don't fall behind! Then you'll be late when I throw my 'Destruction of Hyrule' party. Everyone's invited, it's the next chapter. Uploading at midnight you say? Sounds like an excuse to me, since that's usually when I end up posting anyways. Hope this one is more to your liking. Random Reader, how dare you bash the golden bug sidequest! It's a massive pain in the ass, but I need that maxed out wallet! Think of the rupees left abandoned in their pots. Think of the rupees! Yeah, yeah, you called the Master Sword appearing. Good job. I figured a repairing tunic was the best realistic(?) explanation. I swear you asking me not to kill Zelda did not inspire her death. Plus, I'd say this is dramatic enough. Ai Star, yeah, no magic teleports this time around. Foopuff, so close, yet so far. And now, well... I'll get some Zelda chapters written at some point. I agree that it'd be nice to see things from her point of view. How brave and good looking Link is, her learning how to use her powers, and how that knife looked as it flew through the air at her are all promising chapter ideas. And of course I watch My Hero Acadamia. What self respecting anime person doesn't watch it?_

 _Okay, looks like the fence is starting to give, so I should wrap this up. Oliver is a fun character, I like the idea of a meta-character, so here we are. Anyone know where he's going next? It's pretty obvious if you get it. I hope I picked a good name for a reincarnated Demise. Ruin was the best I could come up with, thanks to many a thesaurus search. Damn you, Nintendo, coming up with all the best names! I wonder what he'll do now that there's no goddess to stop him. Hmm... Last but not least, don't forget to favorite the story so you can be informed when I post the next chapter! I know you guys hate me now, but don't hold that against the story. It's my fault, so blame me. Except don't blame me. Blame, uh...Charles Dickens. Because apparently he's the reason cliffhangers are things. So it's his fault._

 _Don't worry, I'll post the next chapter in a few days. It might be a little shorter, just because I want to get it out to you guys as quickly as possible. Fortunately, I have it all planned out mentally, so now I just have to write it. So review away to motivate me and maybe it'll come out sooner. Or just to promise eternal pain and agony, either one works. Just remember, retcons are powerful things. You never know what'll happen..._

 _~Aro_


	24. Chapter 24

Rage.

Pure, unbridled rage.

Not like before when I was fighting Moroth. That was hot, disgruntled, frustrated anger.

This was ice cold, determined, focused, and potent.

This was the knowledge that this man, this creature that had hurt Zelda was going to pay.

I knew my back should hurt, but if it did, I didn't notice. The Sword glowed behind me, as alluring as it had been before. I grabbed it and pulled.

'Why?' the sword asked.

Zelda. He hurt my Zelda, and he was going to die for it.

And I was going to kill him.

The Master Sword ignited in my hand and slid from the stone pedestal with a pure ringing noise. The blade flashed as a pure white aura spread from the hilt to the tip of the blade. And I felt whole, as if I had been living with half a soul and suddenly was joined with my other half. Fight with me, I told the blade.

'Yes.'

With a loud yell, I slashed the Master Sword at Moroth and a brilliant arcing beam shot from the blade. Moroth reacted quickly, but not quickly enough to avoid taking some of the divine power. It caught him across the shoulders and I saw him wince in pain. I didn't give him a moment to recover. I flew at him, a tornado of steel and power. I knew immediately our roles were reversed from our fight earlier. He wasn't holding me off anymore, I was crushing him. I rapidly scored a number of hits on his arms, legs, and torso. The wounds smoked as his flesh burned from my blade.

"How can you do this? You couldn't draw the sword, I saw it! And there's no way you were holding back earlier. How are you this powerful?!" Moroth roared desperately attacking me. I casually deflected his stabbing sword and plunged my own blade into his thigh. Again, he cringed in pain and I heard his flesh sizzle. I pulled the Master Sword from his leg, immediately making him fall to his knee. I looked down at him, cold fury still coursing through my body.

"You don't need to know. I'm not one to boast to my enemies. You don't deserve to know. You just get to die." I swung my sword at his head, but he ducked to the side just in time. I cut off his arm instead. He screamed in pain, and though I didn't land the finishing blow, getting such a reaction from someone so apathetic and emotionless was its own reward. He stumbled away as best he could, desperate to get away from me.

"Fine, hero boy. You take today. But know that Ruin comes for you. He hates Hyrule and the Goddesses, but he hates you most of all. He's going to take everything from you, more than you thought you could lose, and then he'll kill you. I just hope I'm there to see it." With a loud boom, Moroth was enveloped in a pillar of darkness. When it faded, the man was nowhere to be seen.

I immediately felt exhaustion. All my aches returned, and I almost fell to the ground myself. But I couldn't yet. I had to check on Zelda.

I dropped to my knees next to her, eyes roaming her sweaty and pale body as the High Priestess and Theresa tried to help her. Her shirt had been pulled up to expose the wound and the knife had been removed from her stomach, revealing that the wound wasn't that deep and hadn't hit anything vital. However, foul black lines streamed from it, stretching up her chest and down her side. I could already see it appearing on the skin above her shirt and moving quickly.

"What is it? What do we do?" I asked frantically. I could see her getting worse by the second.

"It's a type of dark magic, a poison that is festering in her. Only powerful light magic can remove it, but I don't have the strength," Imani said, trying to slow the poison with her magic. Theresa was holding the bleeding wound, keeping as much blood from escaping as possible, but it was still pumping out. Zelda twitched a few times, and I thought she was waking up, but the twitches got worse until she was convulsing in Imani's lap. Her eyelids fluttered madly, and I could see her green eyes were dilated as the poison took hold. I heard her faintly whisper my name.

"Is there anything we can do?" I shouted desperately. I refused to lose her. Maz Koshia suddenly spoke up.

"The Master Sword is known as the Blade of Evil's Bane; dark magic cannot prevail against it. The poison is black magic, so it is possible that the sword could repel it. But if it's already in her veins, I don't know if even that will work." He was clearly unsure, but it was all I needed to hear. I immediately brought the sword to rest against the encroaching tendrils and they immediately stopped their advance. But a moment later, Zelda screamed in agony weakly clutching at the skin near the sword. Imani quickly sensed what was wrong.

"The poison is being repelled by the Blade, but it refuses to come out of her body. It's burrowing deeper in to circumvent the sword's aura." I hurriedly pulled the sword away from Zelda, fortunately making her stop screaming. She was still thrashing in pain though.

"I don't know if there's anything else we can do," the Sheikah Monk said quietly. I looked up to him, dreading his words. "If the poison won't be purged by the Master Sword, I'm afraid we are helpless." My gaze dropped back down to Zelda, who's spasming had settled down, but the tendrils of dark magic had not. They were creeping up her neck and spreading down her arms. Her lips moved shakily, and I dropped my ear to hear what she was saying.

"L…in…k….pl…ease…" My heart contorted in my chest and I decided to try the single thing I could think of. I pushed Theresa's hands away from the wound, which was now completely surrounded by black crisscrossing lines. I picked up the Sword again and pointed it at the wound. Theresa gasped in surprise and tried to stop me, but I was determined. As slowly and gently as I could, I lowered the tip of the blade into the bleeding gash in her abdomen.

Immediately, white light streamed from the wound and Zelda gasped. The darkness under her skin writhed and squirmed before being overtaken by the white of the Blade of Evil's Bane. The power coursed through her body, burning out every trace of the foul poison. Once I was sure the shadows had been expelled, I slid the sword out of the bleeding gash as gently as I could. Zelda relaxed as the tension left her body. Theresa immediately covered the wound again, which wasn't bleeding nearly as badly as it had been before. To my immense relief, Zelda slowly opened her eyes enough to see me.

"Link," she said, voice no longer strained and gasping. I fell apart at her soft whisper of my name. The Master Sword clattered to the ground at my side as I embraced Zelda as fiercely and gently as I could.

"Thank the Goddesses you're alive," I said breathlessly. "I don't know what I'd do without you." I felt her own weak arms come up to wrap around me, but they fell away when I pulled myself from her shoulder and pressed my lips to hers.

She was sweaty, weak, and trembling slightly from the poison. I was bruised, aching, and sore in every way I could think.

It was the best kiss of my life.

And then I passed out.

* * *

I woke up later and my body immediately screamed in pain at me. My back hurt, my shoulders hurt, my stomach felt like it had been hit with an anvil (which might not have been far from the truth), and above all, there was a very warm something pressed against my side. Everything begged me to go back to sleep, but I forced my eyes open all the same.

I was in a small, bare room, filled with a small dresser, a desk, one chair, and the small bed I was currently laying on. The walls were empty of any personal touches and the whole room had an air of being unused. I briefly tried to sit up, but my back spasmed erratically and I was forced to stay where I was with a low groan of pain. The warm mass at my side pulled away and I saw a face appear at the side of my vision. I managed to turn my head enough to see that it was Zelda, looking tired and relieved.

"You finally woke up," she said quietly. "You were asleep for almost three hours." I just stared at her silently, all too aware of what had happened right before I collapsed. It was clear from how she didn't make eye contact that she remembered too.

"Are you okay?" I asked when I found my voice again. "You're not going to almost die on me again, are you?" I tried to inject some humor into the conversation, mostly because I just didn't know what to say.

"I will be. Whatever you did with the Master Sword to get the poison out help heal the wound a little too, so I just have to be careful about how I move." She was wearing a light pink tank top that was thin enough that I could see the press of the wad of bandages against it.

"Where is the Master Sword?" I asked quickly, ashamed I had forgotten about the sword. Zelda pointed to the desk, where I could just make out the purple hilt and cross guard. I could also see a purple and gold sheath covering the blade. I relaxed again. "Good, I don't think it would appreciate being left on the Temple floor," I said with a laugh, before wincing as my stomach cramped slightly. "Why are you in here? I wouldn't think the High Priestess would let you be in here with me." Zelda scoffed.

"She wasn't a fan of the idea, but I wouldn't take no for an answer." Her voice dropped to a whisper and she finally locked her glittering green eyes with mine. "I didn't want you to be left alone."

My heart surged with warmth for the girl laying on the other half of the bed. She was injured and clearly tired, but she refused to leave for my sake. I slowly managed to raise my hand to her cheek and brushed the skin there lightly. She leaned into my touch ever so slightly, closing her eyes in the process.

"Did….did you mean what you said earlier?" she asked hesitantly. I cast my mind back to my words before I collapsed. 'I don't know what I'd do without you.' At the very thought, the internal struggle I had been having over her suddenly disappeared itself. I gulped slightly and slowly nodded my head.

"You've…become so important to me. More than anyone else," I said cautiously, not wanting to misspeak. "I can't imagine being on this quest without you. I can barely think of being without you because it hurts so much. I would do anything to protect you, anything to make you happy." I stopped talking for a moment as I committed to my next words. "You are everything good in this world for me. Zelda, I l-" I was cut off as Zelda slowly pressed her lips to mine, tensing as our lips made contact.

It was just as indescribable as the first time. However, this time I had the benefit of not being out of my mind with worry and on the verge of collapse. Granted, I still hurt, but Zelda's touch pulled the pain away in an instant. My hand went from her cheek to the back of her head, tangling in her loose hair and pulling her closer. We kissed gently for a minute before Zelda pressed herself closer to me. We both gasped and winced as our injured torsos pressed against each other. Zelda pulled away from me and we stared at each other. Zelda laughed softly, looking to the side, and brushed a loose strand of platinum blonde hair behind her ear, cheeks tinted pink. I stayed where I was, partly to avoid aggravating my wounds, but largely because I was entranced by her beauty.

"I'm glad. That you meant what you said." Zelda spoke quietly, still looking away from me. Her jaw clenched before she turned to look at me dead on. "I wouldn't be able to do this without you. I'm terrified, but I you give me the strength to continue. And…I love you too." She was blushing furiously at this point. I pushed myself upright as well as I could and wrapped my arms around her.

"I'll always be here for you." She leaned into my hug and gently snaked her arms around me until we were holding each other softly. We sat like that, content in each other's arms until my back started twinging at me, forcing me to pull away and lay back down. Zelda smiled, looking down on me.

"Still tired?" she asked, to which I nodded, my eyelids already drooping shut. She made a move to stand up, but I grabbed her wrist.

"Stay with me?" The question came out sounding much more pleading than I would have liked, but Zelda smiled and lowered herself down beside me, tucking herself into my side and letting me drop an arm around her.

"I'm never going to leave you Link," she whispered, pressing a light kiss onto my cheek. I fell asleep the same way I woke up, with Zelda curled up next to me.

* * *

I woke up the next morning to sun pouring through a window behind the bed and Zelda pushing herself upright. I felt much better than I had the night before. It really was amazing what a few hours of sleep could do.

Just as I was standing up out of bed, Zelda came back, freshly showered and dressed. I realized I was naked from the waist up and my entire chest was wrapped in bandages. Peeling some of them away, I found my skin was covered in fading bruises. "How bad were these last night?" I asked Zelda, who came over to help remove the bandages and take a look.

"To be honest, you looked bluer than a Zora. These are much better though. I'm amazed you didn't break a rib. You took quite the kick to the chest," she said, trailing her fingers over my bruises once all the bandages were removed before flushing again and quickly pulling her hand away. I found it rather cute.

"I don't mind, you know. As long as I'm free to return the favor, of course," I said jokingly. Some emotion flashed through Zelda's face briefly before she rolled her eyes and threw a clean light blue shirt at my head.

"Just get dressed. You might want to take a shower if you can manage it. There's a bathroom down the hall on the left that you can use. Just don't take too long. I think Maz and Imani want to talk to us." I nodded and left to get myself cleaned up.

Half an hour later, I was sitting in the large dining room in the abbey next to the Temple of Time, scarfing down whatever the priestesses or monks had made for us to eat. Turns out almost dying, getting very injured, and almost having a heart attack makes you pretty hungry. Zelda's food was playing a similar disappearing trick, but a bit slower, probably from the intense scrutiny Elder Maz Koshia and High Priestess Imani were examining us with. I would have been more embarrassed if I hadn't been so damn hungry.

"Are you both feeling recovered this morning?" Maz asked once we had started to slow down. I nodded, continuing to scarf down fruit. Zelda, to her credit, stopped eating long enough to answer.

"Yes, we're both much better, thank you. Your hospitality is much appreciated." Maz just smiled.

"Tossing the Hero and Hylia out on the streets after they saved our lives would be poor thanks, I think. We were only doing our duty," he said, looking fondly at us.

"Indeed," Imani said, speaking up for the first time since we started eating. "However, I would encourage you to remember that this is a house of worship, meditation, and rest. I can understand your desire to remain close to each other, but please remember that this is not a very…private building." Zelda and I looked at each other, not missing the point of Imani's lecture.

"Now, now, Imani," Maz said with a hint of amusement. "They're both adults, both in law and spirit. They are free to make their own choices. Besides, it is often said that the Hero and the Goddess' very souls are bound to each other and they often find solace with each other. I know you don't approve, but theirs is a bond forged across time itself. Besides," a sly smile appeared on his lips, "I do so enjoy young love." I was horribly embarrassed but managed to avoid making eye contact with anyone by stuffing my face with another piece of toast.

Looking for something else to talk about, my eyes landed on the Master Sword, which was leaning on the chair next to me. "So now that we have the Master Sword, what are we supposed to do next? I mean, we were attacked. Do we know where they are? What's next?" I was hoping the two actual adults in the room would have an idea as to what we were supposed to do, but they looked at me with rather bleak expressions.

"I'm sorry to say Link, but we've done what we could," Maz said. "We completed your training and ensured you were able to obtain the Master Sword, but beyond that, we have no idea what is coming. The only thing we know is the exact nature of the threat, which you know as well from that man that attacked us. The rebirth of Demise is truly terrifying, but we don't know how to proceed." To say I was disheartened was an understatement.

Suddenly, Zelda's phone buzzed in her pocket. Pulling it out, she peered at the screen for a moment before holding it up to her ear and answering. After a moment, she put the phone on the table and hit the speaker phone button.

"Okay, you're good. Link's here, along with Elder Maz and the High Priestess," she said, quickly followed by Hunter's voice coming through the phone.

"Ah, hello Elder and Priestess. I hope the day finds you well. Thank you for informing me about the altercation at the Temple last night," he said with a respectful tone in his voice. Maz nodded before answering.

"Of course, Guardian Forester. I thought it pertinent that you knew. Now, I take it there's an important reason behind your call."

"Indeed. Link, Zelda, you remember the Gerudo man that was visiting the castle? Something happened. The news isn't very helpful, and I'm still waiting on Sheikah confirmation, but word is that Dragmire disappeared. Again, I'm not sure on the circumstances, but this doesn't sound good. Elder, have you heard anything?"

At that moment, a figure dressed in dark garb dropped from the ceiling, pressed a piece of paper into Maz's hand, and quickly left the room. Zelda and I looked to where the character had disappeared, but the other two acted as if the interruption was normal. Maz read the paper in his hand before it ignited and burnt to ash.

"I've just been informed of the event, Guardian, it is as you have said. Our Sheikah in the castle last saw Dragmire leaving the castle grounds through a service entrance late last night but lost him soon after. However, they did report that he had been seen skulking around the princess' chambers some time before he disappeared. The princess, however, is safe. I must go to deal with the aftermath of all of this, but first. Link, Zelda, I would advise you to go to the castle and meet with Impa and the princess. Perhaps they can shine some light on the situation. I have little doubt that this Gerudo man is involved in all of this, though I am unsure how." The monk elder dropped into a moment of thought before speaking again. "I will inform Impa of your arrival later today and have her meet with you. I wish you both the blessings of the Goddesses and good luck." With a short nod, the older man left the room.

Imani also stood up, still looking vaguely pissed from what Maz had said. "It would be best if you were on your way as quickly as possible, provided you feel well enough to travel. I won't pretend to know much about what is going on, but I do know from our oldest texts that Demise was near indestructible. If it is him you are facing, I ask that you please be careful. You are likely our only chance at stopping him. I wish you luck." With a short bow, she left, leaving me and Zelda to finish our food and be on our way.

Shortly after, we were making our way through the main hall of the Temple, walking along the edges to avoid drawing attention. Which wasn't helped by the fact that Zelda had somehow convinced me to wear my full hero garb, including the Master Sword. Okay, she actually did it by asking really nicely, but that wasn't the point. We briefly saw the High Priestess near the altar and nodded our goodbyes to her. She bowed slightly and made the traditional sign of blessing towards us, clearly wishing us well on our quest.

We were also stopped by the acolyte from the night before, Theresa. She was cleaning one of the altars for the lesser deities when she saw us and hurried over. She practically fell over herself as she dropped into a deep bow in front of us.

"Are you two alright? I helped tend your wounds, you were both heavily wounded." I found it somewhat endearing how concerned she was for us, despite being practically petrified by our presence.

"We're both fine," I said quickly, not liking all the bowing. It didn't help with our plan to stay unnoticed either. "I'm a quick healer and Zelda just oozes healing magic, which basically takes care of her. Would you please stand up?" She slowly straightened, seemingly expecting us to lash out at her or something.

"I do hope you've recovered sufficiently as well. You went through something terrifying, it's okay to not bounce back immediately." Zelda put her hand on Theresa's shoulder as she spoke. It didn't really help the girl's already frazzled nerves, but to her credit, she didn't jump away. Not too much at least.

"I'm fine, your Grace, thank you for your consideration," Theresa was quick to say, bending into another bow. Zelda looked slightly annoyed and dropped her hand from the other girl's shoulder. "You've only strengthened my faith and devotion to the Goddesses and yourself, your Grace. To see both of your power and bravery is inspiring." She briefly looked up at both of us, even managing to make eye contact. She blushed when she looked at me, before dropping her head again. "I wish you both luck on your journey and ask that you call on me should you ever need anything. Anything at all. It would be my joy to serve you."

"Yes, thank you, we certainly will. For now, we should be going. Goodbye Theresa." Zelda spoke quickly and grabbed me by the arm, practically dragging me away. I barely had time to wave to Theresa before we moved out of sight of her.

"That was kind of rude," I said to Zelda, who still had her arm around mine and was walking quickly towards the entrance. She sighed exasperatedly.

"I just thought we should be on our way. We need to get to the Castle as quickly as possible, especially if we have a meeting with the princess," she huffed. She also muttered something under her breath, something about 'knowing what's not hers,' but I didn't quite catch it and Zelda didn't elaborate.

"I think they'd make an exception for us," I said with a laugh. "Plus, you're technically a princess too, and a reincarnated goddess to boot. So really, they should be making a meeting with us." Zelda's stoic façade cracked and broke as her laugh rang out through the quiet atmosphere outside the temple. She quickly stifled it, but not before I remembered how much I loved her laugh. I would have to make sure she did it more often.

"True enough," she said, still laughing slightly and clearly in significantly better spirits as I pulled out the Master Cycle, nestled the Master Sword into a convenient slot on its side that fit the legendary sword perfectly, and climbed onto the bike. Zelda climbed on behind me, hugging her body what felt like closer to me than normal, and we sped away back towards Hyrule City.

"At least now I get you all to myself again," I heard Zelda say behind me as we roared off. It immediately became apparent to me that this drive was going to be just a little torturous. And not just because I was going to be making the same trip that I had already done three times. And it was going to be even worse if Zelda kept nestling her face into the bits of my hair that was sticking out of the bottom of my helmet.

She was going to pay for that when I could finally kiss her again.

* * *

 _And we're back. I'm very (kind of) sorry to leave you all with that cliffhanger last chapter, but it was totally worth it. For story reasons. Obviously. Not because I enjoy your suffering and angry reviews. Obviously. But hey, payoff. Zelda's not dead, not this time at least, Link has the Master Sword now and is a total fucking badass and is very protective of Zelda, and the kiss finally happened. Guys, I DID IT. IT TOOK, LIKE, SEVEN MONTHS, BUT I DID IT. And actually, if you count from when I really started this story, you can probably add another year or so to it. Also, fun note for those who care, my word document for this story reports that I've passed 120 pages and over 72,000 words. You know what the best news about that is? We're not remotely close to being done! That's right there's so much more story to come. What the hell have I signed up for?!_

 _Let's see than, how do reviews sound? Good? Good. Garion, awesome to see a new name here. Glad you like the story so far, and I hope you continue to do so! I thought of the idea of the Sword rejecting Link ages ago and knew I had to incorporate it somehow, so I hope it all seemed legit, both in the last chapter and this one. Moroth is literally a name I made up. I do that sometimes, and it usually works out. Funny you mention it being close to morose because I wanted him to be kind of emotionless, which is pretty much what morose means. So yes, obviously I did that on purpose. *ahem*bullshit*ahem* Nightwing, nope, not yet. But now they have, so that'll be fun going forward. It's sir, thank you very much. Turns out she wasn't dead at all, you just assumed she was. So hah, expectation subversion. Or not, since you called her coming back. Hmmm... I'll get back to you on that. Foopuff, I know, I'm an evil bastard. I hope you've recovered sufficiently. The Mario reference was too easy, I had to do it. Oliver is referencing Jojo's, because, in case you didn't notice, I really like the show. And because I can. You shot the control panel for the vault door, therefore foiling my escape. I should have known than to cross someone wielding a potato gun though. Truly fearsome weapons. Twilit Lord, glad to surprise you, I used a lot of things I had been saving for that. If you do go grave robbing, make sure to wear thick clothes and not to do it while it's raining. Not that I have experience with that. Ultimate, I take great pleasure in being incomprehensible, so thank you. Ai Star, yeah he does. Safe to say he doesn't hold the Goddesses in the highest regard._

 _So that's reviews. I will say, I can't help but notice the severe lack of seals here. So I either killed Sand Seal with that last chapter (likely), or they didn't see the new chapter get posted. Now I know what you're thinking. 'Oh my gosh, that's horrible. How could I ever prevent that from happening to me?' Good news reader, there's a hand thing called 'following the story.' It lets you show your appreciation for the story if you don't feel like reviewing (for some unthinkable reason), and it has the added bonus of notifying you when a new chapter drops. So you never have to stay in suspense and lie awake at night wondering. Just wondering. Instead you would know. Just imagine that and make the right choice._

 _Next chapter should be a bit of fun. Meeting with Princess Felia, more Zelink stuff (because I can now. So why not!), and overall a more chill chapter. Not sure when it'll be out, but be sure to review to say how much you want it. And also how happy you are that Zelda and Link finally stopped being stupid. Because oh man, the kissing scenes I can come up with. Remember the pool scene where they definitely didn't kiss and you all wanted them too? Yeah, that happened. And who's to say it won't happen again? Might have a slightly different ending and tone though. You never know._

 _Unfortunately, I have no promises on how soon the next chapter will be out. It'll be out when it's ready, a la Cyberpunk 2077. Gosh that game looks good. But I work retail and Black Friday is a thing, plus college, so it might be a bit. Sorry if that's the case, but know that I love you all and will be back! See you then!_

 _~Aro_


	25. Chapter 25

It ended up being about 3:30 when we finally reached the inner part of Hyrule City. I had only been in the thick of the city once when I was much younger, so the lofty skyscrapers, hordes of pedestrians, and hundreds of stores and advertisements had me craning my neck in every direction. Fortunately, the Master Cycle had some form of autopilot that kept us from running anyone over or crashing. Still, there were a few times Zelda had to remind me to watch the road and not the soaring buildings.

At Zelda's insistence, we stopped at a store she pointed out to me and went inside. It was some sort of fashionable store for women, into which Zelda promptly disappeared, gobbled up by a saleswoman. I waited near the door with some other men who were likely in a similar position to me. I saw them sneaking odd looks my way and remembered I was still wearing my full Hero clothes, minus any sword or shield. "Costume party," I said, to which the other men nodded understandingly. One even complimented me on the workmanship on it, saying it looked extremely authentic. If only he knew.

Luckily, Zelda didn't take long with her shopping. She came out with a rather large bag, but it looked pretty light. She paid quickly, and we were on our way. As we walked out the doors, I caught the appreciative glance of one of the waiting me. He smiled at me and winked. I knew exactly what he meant without a single word. 'Nice catch.' I gave him a small nod and smile in return. I knew.

Zelda and I hopped back on the Master Cycle and made our way towards the castle. It wasn't the tallest structure in Hyrule City, but by a combination of being massive and built on a natural hill, it certainly was the most imposing. The moat that had supposedly once surrounded it had long been dried up and diverted, but the large walls, gate, and bridge had remained.

We dismounted the Master Cycle at the end of the bridge, since only official government vehicles were permitted to be on the bridge, and walked up to the guard booth. With the Master Sword and Hylian Shield strapped to my back, I cut quite the image. Probably. The guard didn't seem all that impressed.

"And who are you two?" he asked, obviously bored and probably tired of people trying to get into the castle all the time.

"Link and Zelda, we have a meeting with the princess," I said shortly, putting as much authority in my voice as possible. The guard rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, good try. Now scoot, you're ruining my view," he said dismissively, clearly expecting us to run away. We didn't move. The guard straightened, getting more annoyed. "Didn't you hear me? I said get." I maintained my cool.

"I think you're the one who didn't hear me. I'm Link, she's Zelda, and we have a meeting with the princess. Do whatever you need to confirm it, but we're not leaving until we see her."

"Is that a threat?" the guard practically shouted, reaching for his taser. Apparently he got riled up easily. I shook my head.

"It's a promise. Now call someone so we can get on with it. We're busy people." The guard kept looking at us for a moment, anger written on his face, before he turned around and picked up the phone in the booth.

"Here, hand me that bag," Zelda said while we were waiting. I gave her the bag of whatever she had picked up from the store, trying to peek inside. Zelda flicked me on the forehead and snatched the bag away. "No peeking. Now let me get changed," she said, waving her hand and summoning a wall of light around herself, effectively hiding from view. So there I was, standing in front of the castle with an annoyed guard trying to understand why he should let two teenagers into the castle and a gently shimmering and humming circle of light. After a few minutes, Zelda dropped the wall again, revealing exactly what she had gotten at the store. "What do you think?"

"You look incredible." It was all I could say and damn if it wasn't true. She was wearing a long white dress that just barely revealed her figure, with light embroidery around the slightly scooped neckline, showing just a hint of her chest. The sleeves were loose, flowing, and reached down to her wrists. The cloth had a small gap in it at the shoulders, showing just a hint of the skin there. The body of the dress swept down, hugging her waist slightly, but was otherwise uniform. The fabric ended just below her ankles, making it look like she was barely touching the ground. I saw a hint of white flats as she stepped towards me. She wore a few pieces of jewelry, specifically a thin necklace with a Triforce resting on her skin and a delicate circlet nestled into her platinum tresses.

Zelda blushed adorably, and I couldn't help but step towards her and fit my lips to hers. She made a small noise of surprise but didn't pull away. On the contrary, she pressed her lips more firmly to mine. Reaching around her, I found the dress was quite low in the back, exposing the skin more than half way down her spine. And I got to kiss her. This ridiculously beautiful girl.

I forced myself to pull away, putting an appropriate amount of space between us. Just in time too, as the still peeved guard chose that moment to turn around. He did a double take at Zelda's wardrobe change before waving us into the castle, saying that everything was as I had said. An escort was waiting on the inside of the colossal gate and he led us up and up through the castle until we reached a small parlor. He said we should wait here and make ourselves comfortable.

Which was exactly what we did, looking around every part of the room and generally admired the wealth. Well, Zelda admired the wealth. I mostly admired her. Sue me.

After about twenty minutes, a different man came to get us and walked us to what I imagined was the throne room. The large hall was decorated more lavishly than anything I had imagined possible. Gold and jewels were everywhere, covering almost every surface. Anything not covered with finery was made of intricately made metal or dark, beautifully carved wood.

At the end if the hall sat three thrones on a raised dais, two larger ones and a third smaller one slightly to the left. This was the only occupied throne, a girl likely our age sitting upon it. She had a thin figure, thick, long brown hair, and was dressed in an elaborate purple gown, covered in frills and other stuff, overall looking very fancy. A stern looking Sheikah woman in what looked like a combat suit stood behind and slightly to the side of the chair, who I figured was Impa.

We steadily approached the dais, stopping at the bottom of it and looking up at the princess, who met our gazes. I thought to bow, but Zelda didn't make any move to, so I remained standing. As far as I figured, we were all reasonably close to equals, our little group being made up of the current monarch of the kingdom, a reincarnated hero who saved the world who knows how many times, and a literal deity. I just hoped I was right and wasn't going to find my head on an executioner's block.

"Link and Zelda, was it?" Princess Felia asked. We both nodded, and the princess continued. "My guardian, Impa, tells me that you are on a quest to defeat some growing threat. She insisted that I meet with you and that you may be able to help with the disappearance of Ganondorf Dragmire, ambassador of the Gerudo." She paused a moment, looking us over again. "She said you were the reincarnations of the Hero of legends and a goddess." At this, she snorted slightly, as if unable to contain her mirth, and relaxed slightly in her throne. "I don't believe you."

Impa, Zelda, and I were all stunned. In the space of a second, Princess Felia had gone from respectful to condescending. She looked down at us with barely veiled contempt. "I have seen no evidence of this evil you say is coming. I see no reason to believe your claims as the Hero. Furthermore, it is known that the Blood of the Goddess only flows in the veins of the women of the Royal Family. That is to say, in my veins. If anyone were to be revealed as the reincarnated Goddess, it would be me." A few motes of golden light floated around her fingers, much like Zelda's magic, but considerably less impressive. "I possess the power of the Goddess. No one else could." She looked down at us still with distain. "That you would lie in such a serious manner is a grevious offense not only to me, but to our country, culture, and history." Impa stepped forward to interrupt but was stopped by Felia's raised hand. "Still, my guardian insisted that I meet with you, something she would not have done without good reason. That is why I will give you the chance to convince me that you are who you claim. However, if you do not convince me, I will have you imprisoned. Of course, you could always leave, and I would think nothing of your offense, provided you apologized." She again sneered at us. "So, which shall it be?"

To say I was livid was an understatement, but I withheld my anger, eager to show this bitchy girl how wrong she was. I stepped up the stairs, pulling the Master Sword free of its sheath as I did. Zelda made a move to stop me, but I ignored her. This stuck up princess was going to get what was coming to her.

"You've probably heard of the Master Sword, right Princess?" I asked, doing my best to keep my own distain from seeping into my voice. I was partially successful. "Legendary Blade of Evil's Bane, forged a long ass time ago by the Goddesses, only able to be wielded by one who is worthy. Ring any bells?" Felia nodded.

"Of course. I've studied all the records we have on past incarnations of the Hero. It is said that only he could wield the Master Sword. However, it has since been lost to the ages, its location unknown."

"Oh, we know its location. It's right in front of you." At this, I embedded the Sword in the flagstones in front of the Princess, just enough to let it stand on its own. "What do you make of this?" The princess stood and walked around the sword, examining its every detail.

"It is a fine piece of workmanship. The hilt and crossguard are consistent with every account of the Master Sword I have read. The blade itself is impressive as well. What kind of steel is this, that it shines so brightly?"

"I have no idea."

"Ah, so the smith you contracted to make this didn't tell you. A wise craftsman." Felia straightened, looking me in the eye again. I noticed that she was rather short, probably a hint shorter than Zelda, and had to crane her neck slightly to look at me. "I see no reason to believe that you have managed to find the true Master Sword though." I sighed impatiently.

"Then lift it. Wield it. If this is nothing more than a normal sword, you should have no problem with that." Felia's eyes narrowed at me, but she did as I said and gripped the sword, pulling lightly at first, but soon put all her strength into pulling my sword from the floor. Eventually, she gave up, slightly flushed from her exertion. "Satisfied?" I asked as politely as I could.

"You just got it stuck in the floor. This proves nothing," she snapped. I shrugged and pulled the blade from the ground with ease. I held it out to her with one hand, inviting her to take the handle.

"Then here. Try to hold it." Her hands slowly reached out, wrapping around the purple grip. As soon as she was holding it firmly, I let go. Immediately, the princess' arms buckled, and she fell to her knees as the blade crashed to the ground. She struggled to lift it again but was no more successful than the first time.

"What have you done?" she asked breathlessly, tugging on the hilt again. "What magic is this? Impa, come and lift this stupid sword," the girl shouted, her emotions clearly getting the better of her. Impa came over and, after looking to me for permission, which I gave, bent over to lift the sword. She pulled harder and harder at Felia's insistence, impressive muscles in her arms straining, but was unable to so much as budge the sword. Eventually, she gave up. I shrugged and scooped up the Master Sword again, easily holding it with one hand, even going so far as to hold it limply with just a few fingers.

"How's that then? Can we end this charade now and get on with saving Hyrule before there's not a Hyrule to save?" I asked impatiently, twirling the sword in my hand. I shoved it back into its sheath and pulled off my left glove and showing the princess the back of my hand. The imprint of the Triforce glimmered golden there, daring her to refute its authenticity. Felia took a startled step backwards, eyes wide, before she regained her composure and her haughty mask slid back into place.

"Very well," she said, a bit more quietly than before. And was that a slight tremble in her voice? "I will accept that you are the Hero. However, I refuse to consider that this…girl could possibly bear the power of the Goddess." Again, she conjured her small light orbs. "I have my proof. Let us see yours."

I stepped to the side as Zelda walked up the stairs, bowing slightly for added effect. Zelda stood about four feet away from the Princess and examined her still present magic. Felia smirked and twisted the light balls slightly, making them dance around each other. She seemed very confident until Zelda smiled at her. From where I was standing, it almost looked like a smile of pity.

"If you think that is the extent of Hylia's power, I can't help but pity you. It was the power of Hylia that birthed this kingdom, that held evil back countless times. It was her guidance that led the Hero, giving counsel and comfort. I shudder to think of the fate that might have befallen Hyrule had that been the limit of her magic." Zelda's voice had slowly taken on an otherworldly tone, making it sound as if she was speaking in an echo. She slowly reached out her hand and summoned the same small balls of light as Felia. The princess looked shocked, but she hadn't seen anything yet. "The power of the Goddess Hylia is so much greater than you could comprehend."

At this, Zelda spread her arms, glittering, shining light pouring from them and her hands. The golden light twisted through the air, spiraling around the hall before twisting back towards Zelda. The light congregated behind her, swooping out into two large shapes that slowly wove themselves into twin golden wings made of brilliant light. Golden light overtook the usual blue of Zelda's eyes and gold embellishments appeared on her white dress. I could feel the Master Sword resonating at my back, drawn just as I was to the vision in front of us. Felia, likely from total and utter shock, stumbled back in fear, falling to the ground. Impa likewise took a step backwards in surprise but remained standing.

"That," Zelda said as her power faded, returning her likeness to her normal one, "is the power of Hylia. That is my power. Now, are you finished acting like a child and ready to help us?" Felia stared at her, slack jawed, unable to form words or even stand up. Her stunned eyes swiveled to me, probably looking for a way out, but I just stepped to Zelda's side and crossed my arms expectantly.

The princess was about as close to cowering as I'd ever seen someone. I could tell from her eyes and the small tears streaming down her cheeks that she was petrified and utterly terrified. To be fair, she had good reason. We had just shown ourselves to be the most important people in the history of Hyrule, and she had insulted us. After a minute of waiting, Zelda took a step forward, startling Felia and sending her to her knees, kneeling in front of us.

"I'm sorry, my Lady Hylia! I didn't know. I should have known! You told me, I didn't believe you." She babbled incoherently for a moment before managing words again. "Please forgive me, I'm sorry. I'll devote myself to you, I'll make sure no one ever doubts you again. Please forgive me. Please! Please, I beg you." The girl quivered on the floor in front of us, face in the rich red carpet. Zelda took another step, kneeling next to the trembling princess.

"Get up, I'm not going to smite you," she said with a light-hearted tone. Felia cautiously looked up into Zelda's once again clear blue eyes. Zelda smiled at her, all trace of the terrifying goddess gone, leaving only a teenager. "You were right to not believe us right away. Hell, I didn't believe it myself when I found out. A goddess turns herself into an eighteen-year-old girl? Doesn't make much sense." Felia laughed aloud before clamping her mouth shut like she was afraid she had done something wrong. Zelda just smiled wider and stood up, pulling the princess up with her.

"I won't hold your actions against you. I get it. But you have to do something for me." Felia's eyes went wide with fear again, but Zelda quickly put her at ease. "Start over with us. I'm Zelda and this is Link. We're on a quest to stop the reborn Demon King Demise. We'd really appreciate it if you would help us." Felia took a shaky breath or two before taking a step or two away, nodding slightly.

"Okay, okay, I can…just have to…" Felia muttered, turning to face Zelda again, looking extremely determined. "Hello, I'm Pri…Felia. I'm Felia. Pleased to meet you." After a moment of hesitation, she haltingly put her hand out to shake. Zelda took it, smiling the whole time.

"Glad to meet you, Felia. I think we can be great friends. After all, we're technically cousins. I've never had a cousin before, much less one that's a princess."

"Somehow, I think being a goddess takes some of the air out of being a princess," Felia laughed, and I could practically see the stress and tension flow out of her. She promptly turned and smiled at me, extending her hand again for me to shake, much more confident this time. I took it and shook, smiling. The happy atmosphere was contagious.

Zelda walked past Felia towards Impa, but she whispered something in the princess' ear on the way. I didn't catch much of it, but from what I did hear, which consisted of 'mine,' 'else,' and 'will smite', and the hint of pinkness that appeared on Felia's cheeks, I got the idea.

Apparently, Zelda got a little possessive. I made a note to tease her about that later..

* * *

 _Did I say it might be a bit before the last chapter? I think what I meant to say was 'a few days' and also 'how the fuck am I writing these chapters so damn fast?' Just wanted to throw that little disclaimer out there._

 _So anyways, hi again e'rebody! What's shaking? Hope you had a good 4 DAYS WHAT AM I DOING DO I HAVE NO LIFE?!_

 _The answer is no. In case there was any doubt._

 _Time to calm down then. What shall we talk about? Anyone find the turnaround from Zelda being an avenging goddess to a normal teen jarring? I did my best to avoid that, but I still worry. Also, it is now canon that every girl in existence wants Link. Because Breath of the Wild. I think the count at this point is Ruto, Cremia, Zelda, Theresa, Felia, and probably a few others that I forgot about even though I wrote literally every word of this story. Oops. Bonus trivia, last chapter Zelda's eyes randomly changed color because I can't keep track of what color I made them. Apparently I thought they were green. They're not. Not at all. They're very not green. But I thought they were. Because Breath of the Wild. Just ignore that._

 _Anyhoo, how about some review responses? Twilit Lord, I could have, but I haven't played Link Between Worlds and therefore can't fairly draw too much inspiration from it. That's also the easy, boring route, which I decided was too easy and boring for my tastes. That also goes for the shirtless comment. I could have, but that's no fun. Got to put those images in people's heads. I'm sure Foopuff and Sand Seal appreciate it (proabaly?). Also, that's not nice, give those back. For all you know, they're powering her oxygen cart and now she can't breathe. You bad person. Sand Seal, glad to see your triumphant(?) return. Please have a specific threat in mind next time, empty threats just don't do it for me. You've got to tease me. I figured you were doing some form of boycott to protest my vicious removal of your heart, and look at that, I was right. I'm oddly pleased that I managed to make you so pissed that you had a bit of a fit. That's probably a sign of psychopathy, but oh well, can't make a human sacrifice without a few people? No idea where I was going with that. Glad you approve of the romance. I just hope I can do a good job of it. Foopuff, I know, I too am saddened. But she's here now, being her normal spastic self, so at least we have that. I've actually found fluffy things are the best for drying tears. Fluffy fluff is the best. Use that, not other people's sleeves. That's just gross. And yes, he had to STAB her. Because drama! And to show he'd do anything for her. I think I got the point across. Jealous Zelda all the time, for previously mentioned reasons. Jealous Link, interesting idea. We shall see. Crescent, thanks so much! I will do just that and look forward to hearing from you again. Sand Seal again, you only get one response. Boycott revenge. Ai Star, I sure hope so. Good characters should make you laugh, it means you feel for and with them. Which is good, because it means I don't suck at this whole writing thing. Positivity!_

 _As usual (even though I rarely say this), thank you all so much for the reviews you leave me. My favorite part about writing is hearing back from you about how much you love the chapters. It truly makes my day. And if you're new to the story, don't feel like you can't weigh in too. If you're reading through and hit a point you love, tell me what it is! No matter what it is! I don't care, please validate me! So thanks and keep reading._

 _Small rant this time, Fallout 76. Playing a bit of it, enjoying it so far, but we'll see how that goes. I've heard differing opinions, but I'm having a decent time. Just Cause 4 though. Oh. Baby. I cannot wait. For that game. Because who doesn't like senseless chaos and anarchy in an enormous playground with the power of a god of physics at your disposal? I don't. I LOVE it. Gonna be a good time._

 _Chapter 25, look at that. A number. Yay. Best part, we're not remotely close to done. Plenty more where that came from._

 _Anyways, that's all I've got. Leave a review and hold tight until next time. I think its about time for a little more plot. Enjoy!_

 _~Aro_


	26. Chapter 26

Zelda, Felia, Impa, and I all went to a lavish parlor-type room, much fancier than the one we had been in before. Oddly enough, everything was some shade of blue. Chairs, tables, walls, curtains, even the ceiling and the delicate molding was a light blue. The four of us sat down and were promptly served tea and little cookies. Which were also all blue. Before I could ask what the deal with the color scheme was, Impa spoke.

"Elder Maz said you were looking for information on the disappearance of Ganondorf Dragmire." Zelda and I nodded, and Impa continued. "Unfortunately, we have very little to go on. Dragmire was the only one of the Gerudo retinue to disappear and none of the others have any idea where he would have gone. They said he has never left the desert, so it is unlikely he would know the area or have a place to hide. His motives are also unclear. We searched his room but found no hint to his whereabouts. What I find more disturbing is the fact that he was snooping around the princess' chambers. This, combined with the apparent rise of this Ruin, is extremely troubling. It is no secret that the old legends often portray the Gerudo, particularly the men of the tribe, as consorting with evil. They also have a tendency to kidnap the Princess of Hyrule." We all looked to Felia.

"I won't say I'm not concerned, but I know the legends," Felia said. "The Hero always manages to defeat evil when it threatens Hyrule. Link, I can't say I know you very well, but I'm confident that you will rise to the occasion." Zelda nodded.

"As someone who does know him, I can say much the same," she said, squeezing my hand. A soft smile slipped onto my face. "Is there anything you need from us while we're here? If not, I'd really love to sleep in my own bed again." Felia laughed and Impa smiled.

"No, I think you've earned a little time off. With Ganondorf's whereabouts unknown, we don't have any action we can take other than being vigilant. If this Ruin also hasn't revealed himself, there's nothing we can do in that regard either. We will be sure to contact you if we hear anything, but until then, I'd advise you go home and take a well-deserved break." Music to my ears.

* * *

Thank the Goddesses, this time it was a short trip. We made it home about an hour after we left the Castle. Before we had left, Felia gave us her phone number if we needed to contact her (having the phone number of the Princess of Hyrule was a weird feeling) and two letters stamped with Hyrule's Royal Crest to avoid another situation like with the guard outside. Who gave us the weirdest look on the way out, by the way.

One (relatively) short drive later, we were collapsing onto the couch of my house. We hadn't been gone that long, only a few days really, but we were still exhausted. By some luck, we were the first ones back, Sheik and Hunter being busy with something Sheikah related and Shade and Midna doing who knows what. In fact, given the possibilities, I probably didn't want to know what they were up to.

I decided to just sit there, enjoying the feeling of being home and being curled up with Zelda. Though we knew how we felt about each other, we hadn't had any time to just be together. We sat there for a while, just enjoying each other's company.

Eventually, Zelda stirred at my side, slowly pushing herself away from the ideal napping location that was the couch. "I should get home and take a shower," she said, joints popping as she stretched. I knew I probably should do the same, but the couch was just so comfortable. "I'll be back in an hour." She leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. "Order some pizza for us."

"Extra garlic sauce?" I asked, laughing when Zelda's eyes went wide and she nodded furiously. She immediately left, leaving me alone for what I realized was the first time in over a week.

I let my eyes slide closed again for just a minute or two before forcing myself up to order the pizza, shower, and change into my normal jeans and t-shirt. It had been so long since I had worn my favorite faded jeans and green shirt. Normalcy was nice.

I figured I had about half an hour until Zelda came back, so I decided to do a quick inventory of all the stuff I had accumulated on the week-long expedition. One shield, one full outfit set for heroing and killing things, a few magic dimension-bending pouches, one superpowered magical staff, a decent number of rupees, a few scars, a girlfriend (probably), and the sword to end all swords, which was currently laid across my lap.

I was examining every inch of the Master Sword as closely as I could. The metal of the blade had the pale gleam of extremely polished metal and was razor sharp. It flared out towards the cross guard slightly, the emblem of the Triforce etched into the blade and also had a faint glow around it, which I noticed got brighter when my hand wrapped around the hilt. Said hilt looked like a solid piece of purple painted wood at first, but upon closer inspection, it actually appeared to be woven together. The bright green leather strips around the handle looked new, even though they were likely centuries upon centuries old. At the point where the hilt hit the cross guard, a bright yellow gem gleamed, thin gold details stemming from its socket. The cross guard itself swooped down and back up, curving elegantly as it did. The whole thing was beautiful.

As my hand rested on the blade and I traced my fingers slowly down the center, I could feel the whole sword vibrating slightly under my touch. The blade hummed as I held it, and it seemed like I could feel the blade. Everyone talks about your weapon being an extension of your arm. This wasn't that. This was deeper. I could feel where the blade ended, the slight movement of air against the edge. If I focused hard enough, I could hear the blade singing, sounding like it was just beyond my hearing. I strained my senses, trying to hear the music I knew the sword was making, but a loud knock at the door shook me from my focus.

I grudgingly put the perfect weapon away and took the pizza from the young guy at the door. I recognized him from school, and we talked for a minute. He said there was some big event at Hyrule High in a few days, both for current students and alumni. I said I might be there, and he smiled brightly. He walked back to his car, muttering something about getting 'the Link' to go to the event. Of course, he just about fell over when he saw Zelda walking down the sidewalk, but I couldn't really blame him.

Zelda was dressed in a light pink sundress with a rather low cut. Plain black flats were on her feet. Her platinum blonde hair that looked almost white in the sunlight had two braided portions wrapping around her head like a crown before they joined at the back. The rest fell down her back, curling slightly as it did. Fortunately, she looked just as amazing as usual, so I was able to avoid dropping the pizza and incurring her wrath.

"Got the pizza, wanna eat?" I called, spooking the guy who had delivered the pizza. Zelda nodded excitedly, speeding up slightly. She smiled at the pizza guy and greeted him, prompting him to attempt to wave before ducking back into his car and driving away just a little faster than necessary. Poor guy.

Zelda, in short fashion, seized the pizza boxes from me and ran into the kitchen with them, pulling out a plate and proceeding to drown her sausage pizza in garlic sauce. I couldn't help but laugh as she groaned in relish. She shot me a nasty glare, but I ignored her and pulled out my own piece of pizza.

Half an hour later, we were sat on the couch next to each other watching a movie. Well, I say we were sitting. In reality, I was somewhere between sitting up and laying down, and Zelda was curled up next to me with her head on my shoulder, thin arms snaking around my torso. My left arm was draped across her shoulders and rested on her side. The movie played quietly in the background while we talked.

"This ended up a bit differently than the first time we had pizza together," Zelda said, fingers playing with the end of my shirt.

"You mean when you first revealed yourself as a garlic sauce fiend?" I laughed, earning me a swat on the chest and a pretty blush on Zelda's cheeks.

"Oh, well, if that's the way it is, I'll just sit over here," she grumbled, pulling herself away from me. However, I was too quick, and grabbed hold of her shoulders, holding her in place.

"Oh, no, you're not getting away from me that easily," I said, grinning madly at her escape attempt. She struggled half-heartedly for a minute before snuggling even more into my side, smiling lightly as she did.

"Link…" she said tentatively. I hummed in response. Her fingers reached to play with the fabric of my shirt over my abs. It tickled, but I'd be damned if I said anything. "Is what we have normal?" I cocked my head in confusion. "I mean, our relationship. I'm in love with you, but I haven't known you that long. I don't feel like you just fall in love with someone so easily."

"Can I tell you something?" I muttered quietly. Zelda looked up at me with wide blue eyes. I steeled myself slightly before continuing. "You remember that first day I met you? You came to Ancient History that morning at school and Owlan introduced you to the class." The girl at my side nodded a little. "I could never forget that morning. You were perfect in every way. And then you looked up. Zelda, my heart stopped. I almost thought I had died and gone to the goddesses, because only a goddess could be so beautiful."

"Turns out you were right," Zelda said, laughing. I rolled my eyes and covered her laughing mouth with my hand.

"Shush, I'm trying to be sweet here. Do you know how hard that is?" Zelda kept laughing but did it silently, so I could continue. "I saw your eyes and I fell in love with you. That entire day, I couldn't keep my eyes off you. The night of Cremia's party, when she wanted to have sex with me, I couldn't. Not because I didn't want to, but because I could feel a piece of my soul screaming that it was wrong. I didn't know what it was at the time, but I knew what it was saying. You were calling to me in an indescribable way and something inside me knew I was destined for you and only you." I took a large shuddering breath, before looking Zelda in the eye again. "So, no, I don't think it's strange how quickly we fell in love. It may be quick by normal hylian standards, but by mine, it took far too long. I'm yours, across time and reality. I love you and I will always love you, because you are the greatest thing to ever happen to me in all my many lives." Zelda looked at me, eyes steadily on mine even as they dripped with tears and emotion, before she pushed herself up and met my lips with hers.

"I love you. I don't know how I know, but I know it was for that reason that Hylia became Zelda. So she could love you. So I could love you." She kissed me again softly, our arms wrapping around each other.

It wasn't long before we were full on making out, movie and personal space forgotten. Zelda knelt above me, allowing her weight to settle on my torso and shoulders. My hands danced along her sides and back, coming just close enough to feel the swell of her curves but not daring to go any further. She didn't seem to have the same reservations, curious hands crawling along the muscles of my shoulders and chest. It didn't take her long to find a sensitive point along my collar bone, making me kiss her harder. Of course, I had my revenge when I found a point between her shoulder blades and spine that made her shudder under my hands. I almost lost my mind when a shuddering gasp escaped her mouth, only to be interrupted by the front door opening and the distinct sound of my twin clomping into the entryway. We reluctantly separated, straightening ourselves to try not to look like we had just been making out. Judging from Shade's amused smirk when he saw us, it didn't really work.

"Oh, hey you two. Hope we're not interrupting anything…" he said, cocky bastard.

"Fuck off." I shot back, determined not to look at either him or Zelda. Midna came into the room behind Shade, pulling on his arm.

"Come on idiot, leave them be," she said before whispering something in his ear. He immediately lost interest in me and Zelda and made his way towards the stairs.

"Alright you two, be good, and if you need something, find someone else. I'm not to be disturbed." He suddenly ran back and got right up in my face, pointing a finger at my nose menacingly. "Not. To be. Disturbed." I couldn't help the snarky grin that slid onto my face.

"What's wrong Shade, not a fan of being interrupted? Is there some reason you want to be left alone? Find people barging in annoying?" Shade's eyes narrowed, laden with unspoken threats until, with one last warning finger waggle, he turned around and left. Both he and Midna went upstairs and I heard his bedroom door close, quickly followed by a conspicuous thump of something (or two somethings) hitting the floor above us. I smiled at Zelda, who was laughing silently. "I guess we know how their trip went," was all I managed to say before we both broke down in laughter.

* * *

After that, Zelda and I mostly watched our movie. Not that we didn't still sneak kisses to each other, but we didn't want to get walked in on again. Fortunately, the movie was pretty good, even though we had missed the first half of it. By the time dinner rolled around, Hunter and Sheik were back, bringing back some traditional Sheikah/Kakariko food with them, which we all ate with gusto.

"So, what took you guys so long to get back?" I asked between bites, referring to Sheik and Hunter. "I thought you would have gotten back first."

"I took the opportunity of being away from home to take Sheik to see the role of the Sheikah in guarding the Royal Family," Hunter said, taking a sip of his beer. "I heard you were there a little while after you two had already left, but we were busy anyways. Sheik had an interesting encounter though." The aforementioned teen wasted no time embellishing.

"Guys, I totally met the Princess. I bet you two don't care though," he said, waggling his finger at me and Zelda. "But! I met her first, so really, I'm the victor here. Met Impa too, she's cool. Scary, but cool. Anyways, they both agreed that I could be a trainee in the castle as a Guardian of the Royal Family! I'm going to be so much cooler and badass than this old fart." Hunter was quick to smack him upside the head, which didn't deter Sheik at all. "I'm heading back in a few days, and its going to be awesome." Everyone around the table nodded in agreement.

"Glad to hear it. You'll finally be out of my hair," Shade said snarkily. Sheik responded by snatching an egg roll from his plate, which immediately led to a revenge fueled chase out the back door and around the backyard. Hunter picked back up the conversation while the two idiots charged around.

"I'm going with him to get him settled in and catch up with some of the other Sheikah. I've been out of the loop for too long. Plus, I might be able to help figure out what the deal is with this Ruin character. I'll be there for a few days, so I hope you can all avoid burning down the world in the meantime." He very pointedly looked at me, much more so than Zelda or Midna, leaving me feeling vaguely offended.

"We'll do our best, Hunter," Zelda promised, laughing at his obvious meaning. "I'll stick around too, make sure nothing horrible happens." Now it was Hunter's turn to laugh.

"Oh, I didn't doubt it. In fact, I would have been very surprised if you strayed far from Link's side at all." We both blushed, embarrassed as Midna chuckled. "As far as I'm concerned, you're both adults capable of making your own choices. This goes for you too, Midna." That shut her up quick. "Be responsible and don't do anything you know you'll regret. The rest is just living and learning." Having said his piece, Hunter swallowed the last of his drink and stood. "I'm wiped, so I shall wish you all good night. Do what you want, just make sure it doesn't wake me up." With that, he turned and went upstairs. I took a peek at Sheik's remaining food.

"You think he's coming back for that?"

* * *

The rest of the night passed without consequence. The five of us lit a fire in the backyard and hung out there for most of the night. Shade and Midna snuck off together at some point and Sheik went to bed before long as well. Zelda and I were content to sit out in the warm evening until well into the night. Hyrule City's active efforts to avoid pollution left the night sky clear and full of twinkling stars for us to stare up at as we laid in the grass next to each other, hands intertwined.

"You know," she said after a stretch of silence, "I've missed this. A normal night, hanging out with friends, watching the stars. Nothing to worry about, just having fun and no responsibilities." She twisted to look over at me. "I'm glad I can have it with you." I smiled before leaning over to kiss her gently on the forehead. She was quick to catch my face and lower my mouth to hers, kissing me passionately. I was happy to stay there for who knows how long, embracing that fantastic girl and kissing her in the moonlight.

Eventually, we both agreed that we needed to go to bed before we ended up asleep in the backyard. Well past one in the morning, Zelda insisted that it was far too late for her to walk home, so we trudged up the stairs, ignoring the sound of Shade and Midna talking in his room. Zelda snagged one of my shirts, a sky-blue one with a bit of white detailing on it and walked into my bathroom to change. I was considering what kind of sleeping arrangements to whip up when Zelda came out of the bathroom wearing my shirt and a short pair of shorts, tossed her other clothes towards the door, and threw herself onto my bed. I watched her visibly relax before she looked at me.

"You can either make a bed on the floor or join me, but either way, I'm not moving," she said, already half asleep as she burrowed into my blankets. Figuring the matter was settled, I quickly brushed my teeth and changed into a pair of sleep shorts before pulling myself into the bed next to Zelda. She quickly snuggled into my bare chest, head under my outstretched arm. It wasn't two minutes before I was sound asleep.

* * *

 _So here we are again. New chapter, new rant, new plea for help before I lose my mind. You guys know the drill by now. And because I'm tired and really just want to get this posted for you all, we're just going to get right to it and save all the excess gibberish until after the review bit._

 _Twilit Lord, no. Bad. Don't stoop to that level. You're better than that. As for your real review, I'm glad you didn't think it was jarring, I do my best. I shall approve of your high stakes heist only if it is as good as Ocean's Eleven, the best heist movie ever. And set to as good a soundtrack. Not sure what that has to do with staying out of the sun though. Nightwing, only the fluffiest fluff for you. And yes, Zelda's go to fight for her keep. Not that Link could leave her, but you know what I mean. Foopuff, oh yeah, those too. See, told you I'd forget someone. Though I never really specified anyone in the Hyrule High group. Besides Link is a, I believe the term is, heartthrob. Something like that. Glad you liked the entirety of the last chapter then, one thing that bugs me sometimes is that Link never stands up to people who don't believe that he's the hero (in fanfics mostly), so I decided that he had earned a little showing off. Hence the Master Sword thing. Hehehe, good fun. Got a little bit of Impa in this chapter, hope that works for you. No, she's not Sheik's aunt. And yes, I'd advise rereading the story if you're not clear on anything. What do you mean, desperate for views? You are correct, I did make that mistake, but I hope you'll forgive me if I don't change it. Partly because effort, but also because it's funny. Again, glad to hear you like it. Ultimate, indeed it is, or one of the best parts at least. Ai Star, yes it does. Better get used to it, it's not going anywhere. Sand Seal, everyone loves a good roast. Resist the pull of English class, I know it's hard. You're welcome for not killing Zelda, not that I actually could. She's too important to the story right now. Careful with that rhinoceros, I'm very glad you're where ever you are and I'm here in ********* where its too cold for rhinoceros. So hah. I too love the 'will smite' bit. Not only because it's funny, but because you know she will. I commend you for taking time out of your Thanksgiving to comment on the story. Your prodding was noted and promptly ignored. Because I was working retail for that entire weekend. It was fun, I wanted to die._

 _Quick rant because that took a while and I want to go to bed. Just Cause 4 coming out in a few days, going to play the shit out of that because those games are beautiful catastrophe sandboxes. At least, until Smash Ultimate comes out literally 3 days later. So many games, not enough time. Hellsing Ultimate Abridged just released a new episode, so I've got to finish memorizing that. And then I'll be suffering through finals and hoping and praying to pass my Calc class. Just remember, your reviews give me life and the continued will to write. I put aside time for you guys every few days, so know that the chapters are coming steadily. Maybe a little slower for a little just because I'm not sure exactly what I want to happen next. But the idea is forming, so we should get there soon._

 _For those of you that wondered, the Sheikah/Kakariko food is basically Chinese. Obviously there's no China in Hyrule, so I figured the Sheikah and their Japanese(mostly)/Chinese(kind of) feel would suffice. Context, very important. Also, I know towards the beginning I had Link opposed to having sex with Cremia, which I explained a little more in this chapter. Obviously, Link and Zelda's relationship is just a little different. Like, eternally destined for each other across all of time. That tends to change a relationship's dynamic a little. So my question for you guys is, do you think their relationship should progress in that way right away? Asking for personal opinions here based on the characters I've set up. Do you think it makes sense for them or not? If you feel one way or another on it, I'd love to hear it. I'm personally torn whether it should happen at all. If it did, just know that it would be tasteful and not excessive. Not that kind of story. If that's vague enough for you (I think it is), let me know what you think. Until then, I'll be hiding under a rock trying not to have a mental breakdown. Maybe I'll write a Zelda chapter, I need to do that at some point. Or work on another story? I've got a few that are total fiction, spawned entirely from my mind, that may be posted in the future. So since you're writing a review anyways (because I know you are), let me know if you'd want to see that from me too. Because why not? Anyways, cheers and don't go base-jumping without a parachute!_

 _~Aro_


	27. Chapter 27

I woke up the next morning, Zelda's back nestled against my chest, her long hair everywhere, and my hand decidedly on her boob. Because apparently even the Hero of Legend isn't above clichés. What more, her shirt had ridden up during the night, leaving the creamy skin of her abdomen very, very exposed. Which in turn left me in a rather…uncomfortable situation. As slowly as I could, I extricated myself from the bed, tucking Zelda back into the warm blankets before she woke up and noticed my disappearance.

I quickly showered, which also helped me calm down, got dressed, and went downstairs. Hunter greeted me from where he was watching the news on the couch. It looked like we were the only ones up so far, a fact that suited me fine. Figuring Zelda would be up soon and likely want to eat, I went to make us some omelets. Eggs, peppers, cheese, a dash of ham, and fifteen minutes later left me with two very full egg tacos. A little bit of salt and ground pepper, along with a few slices of orange finished the dish. All things considered, I didn't think it looked too bad. Sure, it wasn't Shade levels of cooking, but it was decent.

I carried the two plates up to my room, where my girlfriend was still sleeping. I quietly lowered the plates onto my desk before going to the window. Opening the shades slightly, I let a bit of morning light into the dim room. I sat down on the edge of my bed, looking at the girl still buried under the blankets. She shifted slightly as the bed sank from my weight, but still didn't wake. I will shamelessly admit that I took the opportunity to stare at her peaceful face.

I slowly reached my hand out to trail down her cheek, briefly playing over her slightly parted lips. Her eyes scrunched closed just a little before sliding open in what felt like slow-motion. She blinked a few times before focusing on me and bringing her warm hand up to grasp mine, kissing my fingers.

"Morning," she said, voice wonderfully husky.

"Morning," I returned before clearing my throat. I didn't like how hoarse I sounded. "I made you some breakfast. Omelets." She smiled before nuzzling my hand and gently pulling me down to her.

"Sounds nice, but it can wait." Before I could argue that it was best right away, she caught my lips with her own. I immediately stopped caring about the food.

I had no idea how long we laid there, lips dancing around each other. At some point, Zelda snuck her dexterous lips past my cheek to bit at my earlobe, pulling a sound I personally wasn't a fan of from me. Zelda sure seemed to enjoy it though. Seeing as she started it, I took the opportunity to gently bite down on the skin of her neck. She groaned very quietly and arced her back slightly, seemingly trying to get away from me and closer at the same time.

"Link, we have to stop," she said very calmly, quite the opposite of what her body was saying.

"Why is that?" I looked up at her and noticed that her face was ridiculously red.

"I-…The food is getting cold." It was a poor excuse, but I could tell something was up, so I let it drop. Zelda quickly went to the bathroom and I heard the sink water running for a minute or two before she came back out, much more composed than before. She immediately gave me her normal smile, maybe a little more forced than usual, and dug into the food. I was confused and wary of her abrupt change in demeanor, but let it rest, at least for the moment.

After we ate, I decided to do some basic exercises just to keep myself on form. Zelda went home for a while, saying she had things she needed to take care of. As I did my pushups, I wondered if her 'business' had anything to do with how odd she was acting, but didn't want to overthink it. Sheik was also in the backyard where I was working out and we ended up sparing for a little. Our styles were very different, mine alternating between cautious and aggressive while Sheik prioritized speed and agility, making small but extremely precise attacks.

A few hours later, Headmaster Rauru showed up at the front door, saying Hunter had informed him that I had returned. He was very eager to hear about our adventure, showing great interest in the whole thing and asking questions all the while. A recorder was set up and Rauru took a colossal amount of notes, nearly filling the notebook he brought. I suspected that if one was to compare the written notes and the recording, you wouldn't find many differences.

He also said that he wanted to hear Zelda's point of view on the whole thing, but when I texted her, she just said she was still busy. Luckily, Rauru didn't push it.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Sheik and I hung out for the most part, playing a few video games and comparing stories of our journey. He insisted on seeing and trying to lift the Master Sword but was sorely disappointed when he couldn't lift it. It was still light as a feather in my hand and Sheik glared with envy and menace. Having people try to lift my sword was quickly becoming a favorite pastime for me.

I hardly saw Hunter or Shade all day, the former being at the office all day catching up on stuff for work. I knew all his contracts were still frozen until the earthquakes calmed down, so I wasn't sure what exactly there was to do, but whatever it was, it kept him busy all day. Shade, on the other hand, was in the house all day, more specifically in his room with Midna. He came down for food a few times but was quick to retreat back upstairs. I had no idea what they were doing but decided to leave them to it. I figured it was either innocent enough or something I really didn't want to walk in on and I was fine leaving them to their own devices either way.

Zelda didn't come back over that day, insisting that she had things she was busy with. In the end, I didn't do much. I texted a few of my friends, namely Mikau and Kafei, to see if they were going to the event that was apparently going on at school. They said they were, but didn't know anything more than I did about what it was for. Turned out Mikau wasn't doing anything, so I invited him over to hang out for a while. I really liked the Zora, we just didn't have much free time between the two of us.

He ended up bringing his guitar over to try out some new songs he had been writing and wanted an opinion on. He played for a while before we got to talking.

"Damn Mikau, you've got some good stuff there. I really liked that second song." Mikau snagged a chip from the bowl between us before answering.

"Yeah, I've been really focusing on my music this summer. I'd kind of like to try to get some of it released, but I just don't know. Plus, I don't really know anyone in the business, which just makes it harder to get started."

"I thought Lulu's parents had a few ins in the music business?" I could distinctly remember Mikau's girlfriend saying her parents kept in touch with a few friends that headed up a production company or something like that. The Zora guy grimaced slightly.

"Yeah, Lulu and I have been having some trouble recently. She doesn't like the idea of me publishing my music. I can't figure out why though," he said with a huff. I gave it a minute of thought, trying to wrangle my knowledge of women to form something of a cohesive picture.

"Shot in the dark here, but maybe she's scared of what it would do to you? Like, say you got popular. Really popular. Lots of things come with fame, especially for a good-looking guy like you."

"Are you saying you find me attractive, Link?" Mikau asked saucily. To which I immediately deadpanned.

"Objectively, yes. You're a handsome man-fish. I'd like you to rightly assume that that is as far as that statement goes, and absolutely, under no circumstances, any further." The fish on my couch chuckled.

"Anyways," I continued, "fame changes people. It changes relationships. Lulu might be concerned that you would look at things differently. I hate to say this, but you know the saying 'plenty more fish in the sea.'" Again, a chuckle. "She might be concerned that you would find someone you like more than her. Not just that, it might be that she thinks you would put your music and career before her. That's kind of what happened with…" I trailed off abruptly.

"With Cremia?" Mikau asked hesitantly. It had been an unspoken rule that we didn't talk about my and Cremia's breakup. Mostly because I hadn't told everyone much about what had caused the whole thing. All they really knew was that we had had an argument and split up because of it. I still didn't like that I had broken up with her the way I had.

"Yeah, basically. I still don't know if I'm entirely over it. I still want her to be my friend and I still really care about her, but we dated for so long. Geez, you know, I asked her out the same time you asked out Lulu the first time."

"Asked her out the first successful time," Mikau was quick to correct me. "That was the first time she said yes. I had been trying for months. Though you were a little too love-sick over her hot red-head friend to notice much." We shared a laugh, thinking back on simpler times.

At some point, Mikau's phone chimed and he immediately checked it with an air of desperation. I could tell it was Lulu just from his reaction. His demeanor quickly changed to one of confusion though.

"This make any sense to you?" he asked, holding out the phone to me. I looked as saw the end of a text conversation. 'Have you heard of Link and Zelda Harkinian dating?' My look of surprise probably spoke for itself.

"How in the Dark Realm does she know that?" I asked. We hadn't even really told Hunter, Shade, Midna, and Sheik that we were together. Of course, they had picked up on it, but it wasn't like we were broadcasting it. Especially not to our friends from school.

"Give me a minute here, I'll figure it out," he said, fingers flying over his phone's keyboard.

A few minutes later, we had something of an answer.

"Okay, so Lulu heard from one of her Zora friends that Ruto was pissy about something." I had to hold back a snort at that. Ruto was almost always pissy about something. "I guess she heard from a girl whose boyfriend's friend, Toral, was delivering pizza the other day to you and saw Zelda coming over. Apparently, he's also being hailed as the genius that told you about the thing at school this week. All that, coupled with a little imaginative interpretation, led to the consensus that you and Zelda are apparently dating." I was both impressed and concerned with how quickly our whole school could know such a thing. Because if Ruto and her girlfriends knew about something juicy, you could bet your ass it was about to become public knowledge. Mikau looked up at me from his phone. "So, how's that treat you? Nice to have the whole school riled up about a rumor again, huh?"

I mentally cringed, knowing what was probably coming next. "Yeah, the only stupid thing is that for once the rumor is right." Mikau looked at me for a few seconds, at first not getting it before his eyes went wide.

"Wait, are you kidding me? You're dating Zelda? Since when? And why didn't you say anything?!"

"Because I knew it was going to be a big deal for people who have no business with it. It's between me and Zelda, not me, Zelda, every girl who inexplicably want to get into my pants, and all the guys who want to get into those girls' pants. School's over, my childhood is over, and I have responsibilities now. I'm not here for fun and games anymore. I have a responsibility to the world and…" I trailed off before I said too much. "Anyways, I didn't think it was important to inform everyone under the sun that I'm dating someone. She's fine with it, I'm fine with it, and that's all that matters." Mikau sat in thought for a minute, looking at me with critical eyes. For my part, I relaxed back into the couch that I had unconsciously leaned forward on.

"Yeah, I see what you mean. Lulu and I have been dating for so long, I think I've taken for granted that it just is how it is. But you're right, we're not in school anymore. It doesn't matter what everyone else thinks. Come to think of it, I don't know that it ever did. We're making our own futures. The world is ours, so what are we going to do with it? It's on us now, not anyone else." He looked off into the distance, deep in thought. Suddenly, the fish man nodded once and stood up, putting his guitar back in its case. "You give some good advice Link. I think I'm going to take it." I stood up too, not quite sure what he meant.

"Honestly, I think what you said was way better. You've got some good song lyrics there." Mikau paused, head bobbing to a beat only he could hear, before he split into a smile.

"I think you're right. Maybe I'll put them to a tune. But before that," he hoisted his guitar case over his shoulder, "I'm going to go ask Lulu exactly why she doesn't want me to pursue music, and, if you're right, if she'll be the singer for my music. Because you're right. I'm going to change now, whether because I pursue music or not. And I don't mind that. But I want Lulu to change with me. I want us to change together." I couldn't help but smile at his words.

"I think you and Lulu are going to be just fine, Mikau. Thanks for coming over. I'll see you at the school thing."

"Same to you, Link. Good luck with Zelda. See you later." One fist bump later, Mikau was out the door and jogging to his car, pulling out his phone to figure out where Lulu was. I closed the door and almost ran into Sheik as I turned around.

"That was pretty deep, man. Didn't know you had it in you." I rolled my eyes and pushed past him.

"Yeah, not surprised. There's a reason I don't get sappy with you."

"Oh, speaking of which," Sheik wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "You and Mikau then? Both of you going behind your girlfriends' backs?" He had to jump back quickly to avoid my grab at his neck.

"Oh, Sheik, it really is a shame. You're not going to be able to go to the Castle and train as a Sheikah there," I said, stretching my neck as I walked towards the retreated boy.

"Why's that?" he asked just as jauntily as before. I clenched my hands together a few times before lunging at the slippery bastard.

"Because I don't think they accept dead men."

I proceeded to chase Sheik around the house until Shade came down and yelled at us to stop being so annoying.

* * *

"Hey Link."

"Hi babe, you okay?" I had finally called Zelda at about 9 pm when she never came back to my house.

"Oh, so it's babe now, is it?" I heard Zelda say, barely hiding the laugh in her voice.

"I'll call you whatever you want if you come over here," I said, hoping she would take the hint. Judging from the slight sigh in her voice, she did.

"I'm sorry Link, I'm just not feeling up to it. I'm really tired from the trip. Do you realize how much traveling we did in the last week? It's a good thing we had the Master Cycle, or else we would have spent so much on gas…" Zelda continued half-heartedly, but I could tell she was rambling.

"Well, if I was outside your door, would you tell me what was wrong?" I heard frantic scrambling from the other side of the call before Zelda responded.

"You're not outside my house." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Nope, it was a hypothetical question. But if it'll get me an actual answer, I can be over there in a few minutes." I left the offer open, hoping and praying she would let me come over. That way it wouldn't be rude when I showed up. Eventually, after about 30 seconds of almost being able to hear the gears of her mind working, she answered.

"Okay, sure, fine. Just give me a few minutes."

"Good thing it'll only take a few minutes for me to walk over there," I said, getting up from my bed and pulling on my shoes.

"No Link, I mean like half an hour, so I can-"

"Nope, I'll be there in three minutes. Bye." I abruptly hung up on her. Normally, I would never be so brusque, but I could tell something was bothering Zelda, and I wanted to know what.

True to my word, three minutes later I was knocking on Zelda's door. I faintly heard loud footsteps clomping down the stairs before the door flew open to reveal a disgruntled Zelda. Black sweatpants and a white t-shirt with a faded graphic on it complimented her rather wild hair that stuck out in odd places.

"You know, it's rude to hang up on people," she said, sharp as ever. I gave her my best innocent smile and she reluctantly let me inside, rolling her eyes as she did. "Here, come up to my room. Nothing to do down here anyways." I occurred to me she sounded vaguely grumpy, but it was too late to turn back now even if I wanted to.

Zelda let me to her bedroom, which I was surprised to see was a dark forest green. Her furniture was all wood with hints of color poking out at different points in the room. If I had to describe it, it was like a wooded meadow. Even her bed had dark green blankets, which were suspiciously rumpled and messy. In fact, the whole room was in a state of disorganization. Clothes were lying around, a few bags and their contents scattered in small piles, closet doors askew with a few boxes and bins spilling out.

"What the heck happened in here? Are you sure this is your room? What have you done with my obsessively tidy Zelda?" Zelda sighed again and threw herself on the bed. I stared at her waiting for an answer.

"Stop staring at my ass," she said, pulling her face out of a pile of blankets before letting it drop again.

"I'm not, I'm waiting for an answer. Now stop dodging the question. What's wrong? You've been standoffish all day." She looked back at me and, seeing that I wasn't going to let up, flipped over and stared at the ceiling. With one last sigh, she finally started talking.

"I'm embarrassed, alright? I acted so…wanton this morning and I'm embarrassed. I feel like I've made a fool of myself, sleeping in your bed with you and making out and groaning like some…whore. I was tired yesterday and this morning when you woke me up, I was still half asleep. But when I woke up completely, I was mortified. Not just from what I did, but because I didn't care. I wanted to do it again and again. I've never felt like this, Link." She lifted her head to look at me again before returning her eyes to the ceiling. "I've dated before, I've had a few boyfriends, but none of them made my heart pound at the thought of just seeing them, much less kissing them. I feel like my face and chest are going to burst, and I don't know what to do or how to feel." She let out a scoff and covered her face with her hands as I gently sat next to her on the bed. "Plus, I'm supposed to be this goddess, a paragon of virtue and purity, and all I can think of is how warm it is to be pressed up against you. I just don't know what to do."

I put my hand on her knee. "Here, sit up and look at me." She did, sitting cross-legged on the bed across from me, but not meeting my eyes until I told her to. I could see a myriad of conflicting emotions in her eyes, but the most prominent one was fear. "What are you so afraid of?" She took a breath and dropped her gaze to her lap again.

"I just don't know what I'm doing. I've never really done this before, and you're just so experienced. You had a girlfriend for so long, one who was pretty forward with you. I don't want you to feel like I'm not showing you enough affection, but I don't know how far to push it. But I don't want to seem needy or anything like that either and I just don't know what to do." I let the silence sit for a minute, trying to come up with the best way to diffuse the situation.

"You know Cremia and I only dated for about six months before you came to school, right? Everyone acted like it was so much longer because we both liked each other for ages before I asked her out, but it wasn't all that long. In the end, our dating relationship only lasted eight months. She was really the only girlfriend I had. Experience wise, I wouldn't say I have much of an advantage either. Cremia actually didn't warm up to so much as hand-holding until almost three months after we started dating. She was kind of a slow burn when it came to that stuff." Zelda seemed surprised.

"I thought with how she was on her birthday that she…" her voice trailed off as I shook my head.

"She takes a while to warm up to some things, but once she has, she goes all in." Zelda again looked pensive. "Look Zelda, I don't expect anything from you. I'm not going to push you to do anything if you don't want to. I only went along with things so far because you initiated most of it." She shook her head again.

"That's the problem too. I know I started it, but I don't know how to feel about it anymore. Part of me is saying to just do it because I want to, but the practical, logical half is saying to stop and figure everything out first. I don't know what to do." I couldn't say I had a solution to that.

"Well, how about we start easy. What do you want to do right now?" I asked, trying to do anything to help. I hated being helpless.

Zelda looked at me before her eyes traced their way down my chest. She licked her lips before realizing what she was doing and clapping a hand over her mouth, turning pink in the process. It took everything I had to not laugh, but I managed to resist. Her eyes darted to the messy room around us before she spoke.

"Honestly, I want to clean all this up. I can't stand it being so messy."

* * *

An hour later, we had the general chaos of the room tamed back into a more orderly arrangement. Zelda looked around, pleased with herself.

"Much better. I tend to do a lot of things at once when I get anxious, but I'm too stressed to actually work, so it just all becomes a mess. You should have seen me trying to pack before we moved." We shared a laugh, both of us trying to make everything seem normal. Cautious to test Zelda's improved state, I sat down on her large, now made, bed, leaning against the wall. She turned to look at me relaxing comfortably and slowly crawled across the bed and sat down next to me. Extremely hesitantly, she lowered her head to my shoulder. Even then though, she didn't relax completely. I let her stay there for a few minutes before I said anything.

"Feel tired at all?" She shook her head no. "Thinking clearly?" A nod yes. "We don't have to go any faster than you want. I don't think I could leave you even if I wanted to, so don't worry about that. Go as slow as you want." She didn't respond right away, but eventually looked up at me.

"That's the problem. I don't want to go slow." My heart leapt at her words. "I'm just conflicted. Part of me wants to start kissing you and never stop. Part of me wants to wait and see if I still feel like this later and not rock the boat. I need to figure out which one to do." She lapsed into silence once again. I let her sit there for a while, leaving her to her thoughts. Eventually, I spoke up.

"Want to go watch some TV or something? Not that sitting here isn't great, but, you know."

"Not that it isn't great, but you're bored?" she asked, usual wit back in place. I rolled my eyes, but we still go up and went down to the basement where the largest TV I had ever seen was mounted on the wall. "My dad made this a media room, I think so he could have parties over here or something. Thus, the ridiculously large television. So," she tossed me the remote. "What do you want to watch?"

Eventually, we decided on a Labrynnian cooking show that Zelda was familiar with and I had seen Shade watch from time to time. We just sat there, not even on the same couch, watching the manufactured tension of the show and making fun of the ridiculous situations and added drama of the show. To be fair, the food did look pretty good, but it was just so silly sometimes.

Eventually, 11 rolled around and the program changed. I elected to turn it off, figuring I should head home before it got too late. I said as much, and Zelda looked somewhat disappointed, but agreed. She walked me to the front door, where I put my shoes on and we stood for a minute before I opened my mouth.

"Feel a bit better?" I asked, more concerned for her than anything else. She gave me a genuine smile then and I could tell she was going to be fine. Before I dared second guess myself, I ducked my head to hers and kissed her quickly and gently on the lips. She gasped slightly in surprise, but I was gone before she could really react. "Goodnight Zelda," was all I said before I left, closing the door behind me.

I made it all of seven steps down the sidewalk before I heard the door open behind me. I was turning around, checking my pockets, thinking I had forgotten something when a large mass of girl crashed into me and latched her arms around my shoulders, kissing me fiercely. Whatever her surprise at my kiss had been, I was sure this was ten times more. Not that I was complaining.

Zelda eventually detangled herself from me and dragged me by the hand back inside. She quickly ordered me to take off my shoes again, which I did. She then immediately dragged me back up to her room and shoved me down onto the bed, turning on a lamp to give just a bit of light. I was still mostly in a state of shock, but still managed to say something.

"Made up your mind I take it?" To which Zelda gave me the most alluring smile I'd ever seen.

"Yep" was all she said before almost literally throwing herself on top of me and resuming her frantic kissing.

Her hands traced every contour of my shoulders she could reach and occasionally slipped under the hem of the shirt's collar to tease the skin underneath. Her lips were everywhere: my mouth, my nose, the corners of my lips, along my cheeks and to that same bit of skin she had found that morning by my ear. While she was somewhat distracted, I slowly traced the same path down her jaw to her neck that I had earlier in the day, giving her plenty of time to pull away or stop me if she wanted to. When she didn't, I went ahead and nibbled along her silky skin, pulling the same sound of pleasure from her. When she didn't protest, I continued. We both made every effort to get every reaction possible out of each other before we started to let up.

Eventually, we both stopped and just laid there, Zelda laying across my chest with her head over my heart. Hesitant to talk too loudly, I kept my voice down as I talked.

"What made you decide?" I was genuinely curious, not to mention surprised that she had made up her mind so quickly. Zelda shifted on top of me slightly before answering.

"I don't know. Probably all of tonight. You didn't push for anything, even distracted me from the problem for a while. Then at the door, you kissed me, and I could just tell. I'm in love with you and I don't think I could change my mind if I wanted to. So I thought 'why not?' And here we are."

"Here we are indeed." I checked the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was almost midnight. "I should really get home before it gets too late." I waited for Zelda to move to let me up, but she didn't.

"What if you let it get too late?" she asked, even quieter than before.

"I could…" I said hesitantly. "Won't your dad be home at some point? I doubt he'd want to see his daughter in bed with a guy he's never so much as met."

Zelda was quick to shake her head. "He's at a conference in Labrynna right now. Ironic that we moved here so he wouldn't have to travel quite as much. Anyways, he'll be home in a few days, but there's no chance he'd leave before the conference was over. So, unless you've got some other excuse…"

I laughed a little at that. "I thought you were all timid. Two hours ago, you could hardly look at me." Zelda raised a thin eyebrow.

"I could go back to that if you wanted. Well, alright, if you insist." She immediately got off the bed and walked towards the door. I immediately scrambled up after her.

"I don't think I ever insinuated such a thing, so get back here." I couldn't do much other than sit on the bed looking at her, having somehow managed to tangle my legs in the blankets, preventing me from moving much. She smiled coquettishly over her shoulder before turning back to face me.

"Fine. Throw me your shirt."

"What?" I was confused.

"Throw me your shirt and I'll come back. But you have to stay there," she said, clever grin still on her face. I rolled my eyes, but did as she asked, tossing the grey garment to her. "Thank you. Now you stay there. I'll be right back." I was left alone as Zelda turned the corner and walked down the hall.

With little else to do, I untangled my legs and straightened the blankets as best I could and laid down on top of them in just my jeans, waiting for Zelda to come back. It took a few minutes, but she eventually came back around the corner, clad in my t-shirt and tossing her own in a basket in the corner. 'And bra,' the extremely unhelpful part of my brain said. 'Yes, thank you, shut up,' I said back. Because she apparently hadn't thought to before, she pulled off her sweatpants as well, tossing them to the basket, leaving her in a pair of shorts and my shirt.

"You are trying to kill me, aren't you? I come to get you out of your funk and this is how you repay me. Slow, arduous torture? And what's with you and my shirts?" Zelda looked down her nose at me as she sauntered over.

"How I repay you for being rude and confrontational to a girl you claim to love? Yeah, that sounds about right. That'll teach you to be mean to me." Oh, she was all self-assured and confident. When she got close enough, I quickly grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down with me, pulling an adorable squeak from her as she tumbled down next to me. I wasted no time kissing her again and playing with her skin where my fingers had snuck under her/my shirt. I could feel her smile against my lips as I did the same.

Eventually, we snuggled together under the covers and turned the lamp off, laying much as we had the night before. "Thank you for staying," she said in a whisper.

"I could hardly say no, now could I?" I whispered back. She laughed a little but stopped quickly.

"But thank you all the same. I needed this tonight. Because now I know this is what I want."

"To be curled up against a half-naked me? Because we can do that as much as you want. But only if you return the favor." She slapped me lightly on the chest for that.

"No. Well, yes, but no. Just to be with you like this. To feel safe and warm. And no, I will not be 'returning the favor.'"

"Awww, but I wanna…" I trailed my hand up her waist slightly, unsurprised when she slapped my hand away.

"Fine, move over." Unsure of what she meant, I moved away from her on the bed. She immediately grabbed the blankets and wrapped herself in them, effectively shutting me out. "There now you don't have to worry about it. You can stay over there, and I'll be over here." I hastily moved back towards her, unwrapping her little cocoon and pulling her tight against me, burying my nose in her hair.

"Nice try, but you're not getting away from me that easily." I felt her smile against my chest before we both dropped off into sleep.

* * *

 _Whoa_ _, holy howdy, guys. Chapter long enough for you? I hope so because it took me...all day to write it. That's right, I basically wrote this entire thing in one day. Except for the bit right at the beginning where Link makes breakfast. That's it. On another note, it's roughly 6,000 words. Sources say that's about 10 pages in my Word document. Fucking hell, do I have no life? Nope, I sure don't. Want to know the best part? I need to be studying for tests this week and next week. What am I doing instead? Writing and watching Just Cause 4 crash repeatedly. One's annoying, one's fun, I'll let you decide which is which._

 _Before we get to the reviews, I shall mention something. You may have noticed that I posted something new. That's right, the long anticipated Zelda chapters have begun. But they're not going in this story, because that's not how I've set this up to work. So they can be found in the companion story 'Revival of the Goddess'! See what I did there? I'm very clever. If you're interested in that, please head over there to see what Zelda thought of how Chapter 4 played out (and a bit of 5, but it's my story, I can do what I want). If you have a specific chapter you want to see from Zelda's point of view be sure to say so in a review on that story. I repeat, that story, not this one. Because I like organization. If you want to gush about both at the same time, feel free to PM me._

 _Now, review time. Twilit Lord...that makes sense. A lot of sense. I'm ashamed I didn't figure that out. I'm not forgetting about Vaati, you'll see him soon. I mourn your loss having not seen Ocean's Eleven. It's very good. I can respect the sci-fi though. I don't know why you're stealing wind items, however I suspect it's because you're full of hot air. Unless you're trying to blow me away with your reviews, but I don't think that's working. Sand Seal, good to see your broken mind here once again. It's always a pleasure. I can tell you love it, and I can't wait to see you simultaneously implode and explode over this one. Because the FLUFF. Holy shit, it's a lot. Glad you like the idea of the Zelda chapters (and I know you did enjoy, 'cause you reviewed). I shall let you know if I need advice, I hope I did alright, both with 'Goddess' and roughly how girls think with this chapter. There was a lot of that. I shall indeed write more stories, in fact I just had a fun idea for one with an older Link and Zelda. You'll be happy, it's literally a fluff piece. Like, all romance, all the time, very little plot except for all that 'plot'. Nightwing, yeah, that's fair enough. But they can't all be jerks. I try to reserve that for Shade. I agree with you as far as the relationship goes, I like the idea of near-death experiences. That might come in handy later. For my fictions, I would indeed use Fictionpress, even though it's a lot harder to find something you want to read, in my opinion. It works, but it's a little more 'shot in the dark' than it is here on Fanfiction. Garion, I agree, and so I have. Go check it out. For now, you'll just have to imagine, but maybe in the future, I'll give that and this chapter the Zelda POV treatment. You make a very good point about their relationship, I thank you for that. The 'party' as you say, is big plot advancement, so look forward to that. And don't you worry. There'll be a 'complication.' Definitely. Twilit Lord the second, we're certainly going to find out, aren't we? Psych, I already found out. You can. Nice try._

 _Random note, I'd like to thank 'Two Steps from Hell' for giving me all the ambient music I needed to write this chapter (and do my math, but I think you can see how well that went). Because who doesn't want to listen to epic music for hours on end? Which is good, because my Spotify playlist for them is almost 24 hours long. So there's plenty to listen to._

 _Sweet, about done here. Really just more random notes. I wanted to give our supporting cast a little more time in the spotlight, hence the Mikau bit. He's a cool dude and I thought he deserved a small (read actually rather large) segment. Plus he helps Link work through his thoughts a bit and I think really shows the mindset of someone fresh out of high school. At least, kind of. It's been a few years guys. Let's see, what else? Hope the fluff was satisfactory. I can already hear Sand Seal screaming, so I suspect it's fine, but there were a few parts that I maybe went a little overboard on. Oops. Though I figure you're all fine with it. Hopefully. Please don't boycott my story. In fact, anti-boycott my story! What a great idea, huh? Maybe follow it, maybe drop a review, maybe...I don't know, what are the kids doing these days that's cool? What's that you say? Nothing, because they're kids and wouldn't know cool if it hit them in the face like a mortar shell? How astute, I shall take your word for it. Maybe just stick to the first two in that case. Better do both just in case._

 _Anyways, next chapter will skip ahead a few days to the long awaited 'event.' What's going to happen? Will we see characters everyone's been begging to see back? Will I finally get Twilit Lord off my back about Vaati? Will Toral the pizza guy be the new hot shit at school? Probably not, but stay tuned to find out. See you then!_

 _*Sees word count, both for the chapter and the story, explodes*_

 _~Aro (what's left of him at least)_


	28. Chapter 28

A few days passed, gloriously and mercifully boring. Zelda and I continued to act like the love-sick couple we both somewhat grudgingly acknowledged we were, Shade actually left his room for longer than five minutes, revealing that Midna was indeed still in the house, and I made a very pointed effort to avoid my twin and his incessant inuendoes about how he had spent the last few days. I was more than happy to remain entirely and permanently oblivious to his and Midna's actions.

Within those few days, Sheik and Hunter left for Hyrule Castle, the latter saying he'd be back in a few days and that we should let him know if anything came up. I assured him that we were all adults and that we were capable of taking care of ourselves. I couldn't help but notice that he didn't look very convinced or comforted.

Eventually, the day of the thing at school rolled around, and everyone who had my number was texting me to ask if I was really going to the thing. Apparently, it was of vital importance that I was there. Teenagers were really weird sometimes. I figured it was only polite to say that yes, I was going. Anyone that followed up with asking if I was dating Zelda got ignored though.

Somehow, I managed to find out that the event was going from two in the afternoon to about six, so Zelda and I decided to wait a little before going and getting swamped by people. So instead we sat around and played some video games. Of course, just playing was no fun, so we made a rule that whoever won got to kiss the looser. It was good fun, until I learned how good Zelda was at fighting games. I lost so many games that Zelda was running out of teasing places to kiss on my face and had to resort to my hands. Of course, admitting defeat would have been wussing out, so I stuck with it, getting progressively worse as time went on. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore, especially when she really started to take her time with it. I made the executive decision that the game was over and tackled Zelda to the floor, kissing her as she laughed hysterically.

Eventually, three o'clock rolled around and we decided to make our way over to our now former school.

"Odd to think that just a few months ago we were coming here every day," I remarked as we walked up to the school's doors. The parking lot was full of the cars of former and current students, forcing us to park a little way away.

Zelda nodded in agreement. "I didn't go here that long, but I know what you mean. It already feels like so long since we were here last," she said as we pushed the front doors of the school open. The hallway was unsurprisingly deserted. "Party's in the gym, right?" I nodded, pulling out my phone to make sure.

"Yep, the gym and the field behind it. I'm surprised we can't hear everyone already. Party's been going for a while."

"On the contrary," a voice suddenly said from behind us as the doors slammed shut and locked. "now that you two are here, we can finally get the party started for real." I spun around, dropping into a crouch and reaching for the multi-dimensional pocket I had taken to carrying everywhere.

A rather bored looking 20-something sat on top of one of the trophy cases on the other side of the hall, one leg swinging back and forth leisurely. He was decked out in bleached skinny jeans that looked a bit too tight on his super thin legs be comfortable and a loose white muscle shirt that didn't really fit his lanky, extremely lean frame. Straight white hair fell down around his pointed ears.

"Seriously, Moroth went to all the trouble of convincing Master Ruin to let him put this on for you. The least you could do is show up on time. Granted, he was a bit winy about it all, I mean seriously dude, it's just an arm. Stick another one on or something. I've got no idea what his anatomy is like to be honest. But anyways, very rude you two, being late. I know he's pissed about it, so be sure to apologize to him."

Zelda looked just as confused as me about the rambling person on the trophy case, which at least made me feel like I wasn't missing something. "Okay, cool. So, who are you?" I asked hesitantly. If he knew Moroth and served Ruin like he seemed to indicate, there was no telling how dangerous this person was, or if he was even a person.

The guy rolled his eyes dramatically. "So ignorant. You should at least figure out who you're going to be fighting. Makes the introductions later shorter and we can get to the killing faster. I'm Keritan, one of my Master Ruin's lieutenants. I'm really just the welcoming committee for Moroth, since he's a bit busy right now." He picked at his fingers as he talked, oozing an air of indifference. "Don't worry though, you'll see him eventually. Well, provided you live that long, but I think you will." Keritan looked over at us like he was asking a favor. "He really tried hard to set all this up for you Link. But then you weren't here, and he had to improvise. Do try to appreciate it and don't spoil the fun. Don't worry though Zelda, he got a few things set up for you too. Can't have our boy here having all the fun." He stood up and brushed off his jeans. "Okay, got to go. Got to find this Ganondorf guy for my master. Shouldn't be too hard though, he's getting close to us, like a moth to a flame. Makes sense I suppose, but whatever. You two have fun and try not to kill too many of them, alright?" The thin guy bent over like he was bowing to us, but he kept going until he tipped off the case and passed right through the glass on the front of the trophy cabinet and disappeared. I waited a minute before slowly relaxing, pulling the Master Sword from my pocket as I did.

"Think he's coming back?" I asked Zelda as I slowly strapped my belts to my chest, wary of any surprise attack. Zelda was equally cautious to respond.

"I don't think so. He didn't seem to care for whatever is apparently going on here very much." She walked to the front doors and looked out before nodding slightly. I quickly joined her and saw that everything beyond the parking lot was intersected by a dark purple barrier that looked like it probably curved around the whole school. And also the doors were locked. "Somehow I don't think this really is a class reunion or anything like that." I nodded in agreement. We had very clearly been lured in and caught in a trap.

"Looks like we don't have much of a choice but to play along with whatever's going on here," I said, looking in the direction of the gym. The hallway was darker than normal, despite all the lights being on. I finished strapping what weapons I had to my body for easy access, handing Zelda her Divine Staff and a dagger we had procured for her, figuring it a good idea to have some sort of non-magical protection. "Of all the days to not bring my shield," I grumbled. The Hylian Shield didn't fit in the opening of any of my magic pockets, forcing me to carry it around the old-fashioned way. And I somehow hadn't thought I'd need a shield for a school party where the most dangerous thing that would happen was someone trying to climb onto the roof. Should have known better.

"What do you think's down here?" I asked Zelda as we walked down the darkened hallway.

"Hard to tell. I'm not even sure of what's going on here exactly. I am worried that there's no one around though. I'd think there'd be at least a few people wandering around or finding somewhere to make out. The emptiness is—look out!" Zelda yelled, prompting me to duck and dodge as she shot a blast of water at something behind me. I turned to look and saw a ghost.

A literal ghost hovered in the air where my head had formerly occupied. It really didn't look like much other than an old tattered robe with glowing eyes peeking out from under the cowl. Grasping gnarled black hands that looked more like a skeleton than an actual limb poked out from the shredded sleeves and clawed in my direction.

Zelda fired another shot of water at the specter, which screeched in irritation but was otherwise unbothered. It refocused on her, which gave me more than enough time to pull the Master Sword from my back and slash at the ghost. My blade passed straight through it, but it wailed in anguish before crumbling and evaporating into thin air.

"Well," I said, looking around for more ghosts, not seeing any. "That was fun. I guess we know what's infested the school then." Satisfied that we weren't in any more immediate danger, I looked back to Zelda. "Shall we then?"

We made our way down the hallways cautiously, wary of any more surprise attacks, of which there were plenty. The ghosts, or Poes as Zelda informed me, really only had the element of surprise going for them. Once we found out that they really didn't like light magic, it made it even easier to get rid of them, since Zelda could just blast a cluster of them, making them all evaporate back to wherever ghosts hung out.

Eventually, we reached a split in the hallway, one hall leading towards the cafeteria and the other towards some classrooms. A really weird sign sat against the wall.

It was a wooden post with two swords stuck through the wood in opposite directions, apparently acting as a signpost. I looked closer and saw that the sword pointing towards the cafeteria had the word 'Whore' etched in it. Likewise, the other one read 'Incompetent.' A piece of paper with some writing on it was stuck to the post with a small dagger. I pulled it off and started reading it out loud.

"'Link and Zelda, sorry about the sign, I keep telling Moroth that he should put a little more effort into his directions, but he just ignores me. He likes to cut right to the chase. Get it? Oh, I guess you wouldn't yet. All in good time, I guess. Anyways, he wants you two to split up. Apparently, the 'whore' is Zelda and Link is 'incompetent.' He didn't even bother to explain why he calls you that. I feel left out. Anyways, do what he says and have fun. Keritan.'" We looked at the note and the signpost for a moment before I said something. "Should we do what they want?" Zelda took the note from me and read over it quickly before flipping it over.

"'P.S. If you don't do what he wants, all your friends die,'" she read from the reverse side. "I guess that answers that question. They must have lured everyone here to act as hostages to make us play along. I don't think we have much of a choice." I nodded in agreement.

"Think you'll be okay?" I asked, taking a short step towards her. She just scoffed and summoned some crackling sparks to her hand and twirled her dagger in her other.

"Yeah Link, I think I'll be okay. I've got the power of the divine in my blood and a stabber to boot." I couldn't help but laugh despite the seriousness of the situation.

"A stabber? Really?"

"Yes really." Zelda raised an eyebrow, daring me to challenge her further on the matter. I just laughed again and kissed her on the forehead.

"Alright, whatever. Good luck then. I'll see you soon." Zelda was quick to grab my shirt and pull me down to her level, kissing me soundly on the lips. Of course, just one wasn't nearly enough, two was too few, and three wasn't right either. I eventually forced myself to pull back to breath. "Careful, you'll make me want to leave everyone else to die if you keep that up." Zelda rolled her eyes before sneaking one last kiss in.

"As if you could," she said, finally turning away from me and walking down her hallway. "I'll see you soon. Blow something up if you need help, I'll probably be able to hear that." She waved over her shoulder one last time before disappearing around a corner. I shook my head as I walked down in my own direction.

"What am I going to do with her?" I wondered to myself as I cut through another two floating Poes.

After a few minutes of navigating the halls of my former school, I saw the light on in a classroom with the door open. I stepped towards it, wary of another attack, but the room itself was brightly lit and missing the darker shadows of the hallway. In fact, there was only one person in the room, sitting on one of the desks, and I recognized the bright red hair immediately.

"Cremia?" I asked. Surprised didn't begin to describe what I was feeling. Why was she here with all these ghosts around? And why only her?

"Hi Link," she said, her voice sounding a little hollow as she remained looking out the window. "I knew you'd find me." I stepped fully into the room, still on edge. Something about this wasn't right.

"What are you doing here, Cremia? Where's everyone else?" She shook her head and scoffed.

"I could ask you the same thing. Where's your new girlfriend?" I was taken aback by the venom in her voice. "You know, it makes sense to me now. You just couldn't resist her. That bitch was just too good." To say I was shocked would be wildly incorrect. I didn't know the word 'bitch' was even in Cremia's vocabulary.

"Cremia, what are you saying? You think I left you because of Zelda? That's ridiculous." Cremia let out a harsh laugh.

"Of course you would say that. As if you would start being honest with me now. No, you're fine to keep galivanting around with her instead of being with me. But you're wrong!" she shouted suddenly as she finally turned around. Her normally green eyes were instead a dark grey, as if all the life had been sucked out of them. "She doesn't deserve you! No one deserves you but me!"

Her words blew my mind. The girl I knew could never harbor such a grudge against someone. Her attitude towards Zelda was not only shocking but completely out of character. Through my shock at Cremia's outburst, I also noticed that there was what looked like a rather large scythe next to her and the necklace I had given her around her neck. It was much darker than normal looking like it was holding blood instead of fire. Something was decidedly very not right. Maybe I could diffuse the situation…

"Cremia, I promise I didn't abandon you for Zelda. I only realized I liked her that much a little while ago." I took a slow step towards her, hoping she would either come towards me or step back, really go anywhere but near that scythe. She didn't. "I swear to you that I didn't feel anything for her while we were dating." Okay, not entirely true, but it was close enough for the situation. "It's no one's fault, we just weren't right for each other." Cremia's face contorted in pain and anger.

"You don't get it, we ARE right for each other! I'm the only one right for you! Not Zelda, not Ruto, not any other girl in this damn school, not any other girl in this whole Goddess-forsaken world! And I'm going to make sure no one else can have you." She grabbed the scythe, carrying it surprisingly easily, and started walking towards the door. I immediately stepped between her and her escape.

"I'm not going to let you hurt anyone Cremia, no matter how you feel. That's not who you are." I thought I saw the normal green of her eyes flash for a second, but a suspicious gleam from her necklace drew my attention away. When I looked back, her eyes were still that flat grey.

"I guess there's only one way to make sure you're mine," Cremia said, voice even more flat than before. She abruptly swung the scythe at my neck, forcing me to duck my head while I still had one. I didn't have time to so much as yell at Cremia though before she was swinging at me again, beginning an elaborate dance around the classroom.

"Cremia, what are you doing?! Would you please stop?" My pleas for mercy got cut off as I jumped to the side, leaving the unfortunate fate of being cut in half to a chair. "Why are you attacking me?"

"You can't leave me if you're dead," she remarked. I couldn't help but deadpan.

"Okay, you sound way too casual about that." I immediately had to duck under another swing of her scythe. Cremia didn't answer, just kept up her assault with the scythe.

I knew I had to end this fight before I messed up. With every swing of the scythe, Cremia was making more obstacles for me to dodge around out of desks and chairs. The longer this went, the more likely it was that I would trip on something. So what did I do?

I begged.

"Cremia, please, if you cared about me, you wouldn't be doing this!" Her attacks faltered for a moment, but I saw her necklace glitter darkly again and she came at me harder than before. Two scythe swings and one quick thought later, something occurred to me. "Is it really that easy?" I asked myself. Once the large weapon had passed me again, I lunged forward and grabbed necklace and yanked it from Cremia's neck. The cord snapped and she immediately tumbled to the ground, completely unconscious. The necklace in my hand burned with an evil power. One quick swat from the Master Sword and the gem broke to pieces, and whatever evil was there disappeared with a howling scream.

Cremia immediately groaned as she regained consciousness. I was on edge for a second, until I saw that her eyes were their normal vivid green. I quickly put away my sword before she could get scared and helped her to stand up.

"Cremia, are you alright?" The girl nodded blearily as she looked around the room, taking stock of the rather destroyed classroom before her eyes settled on me and lit up with recognition.

"Link!" She threw her arms around me in a tight hug. We both quickly let go, feeling rather awkward. Cremia looked around again, actually seeing the wrecked classroom this time. "What happened in here?"

"You came at me with a scythe," I said quickly, ignoring the confused look she gave me. "What happened? Where's everyone else?" Cremia looked confused for a second before she seemed to remember.

"We were all in the gym when two guys came in and started yelling for you to show yourself and face them or something. Apparently, they didn't know you weren't there and got really pissed. They talked to each other for a few minutes before they did…something. All I remember after that is being really angry at…well, kind of everything…" she trailed off before looking at the floor. "Is it true that you're dating Zelda?" she asked quietly.

To say I was conflicted was an understatement. On one hand, I wanted to explain what was going on and comfort my former girlfriend. On the other, I didn't really want to talk about my new relationship when our own breakup was still relatively fresh. I also had to get through the school and find everyone else.

"In short, yes." Cremia looked at me, sorrowful expression on her face. "I promise to explain later, but for now I have to figure out what's going on here. Head back to the school entrance and wait there. You won't be able to leave yet, but don't worry, I'll figure the rest of this out. Okay?" She nodded and pulled herself to her feet. We both walked to the door of the classroom, leaving it in its wrecked state. I'd deal with that…at some point. Probably. "Go straight to the entrance. Do not wander around," I warned. Cremia just nodded.

"You really own me an explanation after this though," she said, before walking down the hall the way I had come.

"Yeah, that's going to be fun," I muttered to myself, walking down the hall in the opposite direction.

* * *

 _Greetings, comrades and idiots! I have returned, safe from the crushing grip of the vile organization known as AU, also known as Academic Universities! They thought they had me with their final weapon, Finals...but, as all heroes do, I was able to overcome it with the power of friendship (actually it was studying movement patterns and tactical distractions, but whatever). Always remember guys, never leave it up to the final to decide whether you pass a class. 'Cause that's some stress right there._

 _Sorry it took a little while to get this up (why am I apologizing, I don't owe you anything? *ahem*), but I was busy with finals and work and sitting around doing...honestly, not much, I just wasn't a huge fan of this chapter. But then I fixed it, and now we're good. Which is...good._

 _Eloquence._

 _Now, how's about them reviews? Twilit Lord, yep, everyone needs a good boob grab. I mean cliche. I definitely mean cliche. Helpme,I'mlonely. Sure you can be in the same universe, we'll see. Don't forget the Gust Jar, though knowing all the Links that've existed, there's no promise that its still intact. Nightwing, your efforts are appreciated, but don't underestimate Twilit Lord. Pretty sure Catwoman and Joker couldn't shadow travel. And there's a lot of shadows down there. Don't worry, your advice was heard. For now. I actually reread the last chapter and realized just how much I lead that on. Again,I'mlonely,sendhelp. Sand Seal, thank you very much, I am not disappointed. And yes, I can tell, funny enough. If this chapter wasn't indication enough, yes, we'll see a little more of Cremia. I did indeed study, and I hope you did too. Glad you like 'Goddess', I'll try to write something new for that at some point soon. Raviofan, thanks for dropping a review. We do indeed have our two protagonists, but if you're paying attention, we actually have to antagonists as well. Well, one antagonist and one purposely left vague character that will show up a bit more soon-ish. Foopuff, you will not be forgiven. Your outburst puts Sand Seal's to shame. Maybe. Hard to say. I'm somewhat ashamed to say that I suffer from occasional cases of RFGD as well. Despite being decidedly not a girl. But I have my defenses. I really love Zelda (the games, not necessarily the character. Most of the time...), and there are just some things that are too awesome. If you do make your dog deaf, just be sure to get it new ears or something. I think that's how it works. Glad you liked Mikau. I see Zelda as one of those people who worry and deliberate about things for a long time before committing to their decision. So yes, there were some reservations and now there aren't anymore. What will happen next? Dunno, but let's hope its decent. Pure fiction stuff still needs some work, will probably work on that more once this story is finished. I agree, mortars to the face aren't usually fun. Usually. Got to keep an open mind. And open face and back of head if that did actually happen, but moving right along!_

 _Thank you all for your fantastic reviews, both past, present, and future (because you know you're going to review. RIGHT?). I feel like I should thank you all more for them, but I think the review paragraph takes care of showing that I care pretty well for the most part. If you think it's lacking, you can... I don't know, go complain on Twitter and suck it, or something. I never said I was funny. I mean, I am, but I don't like to boast. But be sure to review, because how else will I know you're enjoying the story? What's that? Based on follower and favoriteing statistics, you say, weird disembodied voice in my head? Well, you're right, but that really just means their entertained, not that they care. And I want them to care, damn it! Oh, you guys are still here. Care, damn it! No one can do it but you. I sure can't, look how long I take to update this thing. If I cared, I'd have posted this way sooner._

 _Anywho. I'll try to get another chapter worked on quick for you guys, maybe get it out for Christmas? No promises, but maybe. Possibly. Still got to work, then deal with family, then get ready for the next semester of school, then ask myself why I feel so empty and go to bed crying. Just kidding, I'm only doing three of those things. Enough rambling for you? Because it's enough for me. Remember, sweeping carpet isn't super effective. I'll see you all next time! Cheers._

 _~Aro_


	29. Chapter 29

After parting from Cremia, I kept making my way through the darkened school, trying to either make my way back to Zelda or find more people. Knowing Zelda was headed towards the cafeteria, I wove through the halls, trying to find the fastest way back that direction. Eventually, I found a hallway that seemed relatively ghost free and saw some light shining out from around the corner. Eager to get out of the dismal gloom that pervaded the school, I hurried towards it. My hopes quickly fell when I realized who was waiting for me around the corner.

"Oh, gosh, not you." I immediately made to turn around, intent on finding another way around, but immediately slammed my face on an invisible wall. Groaning in pain and annoyance, I grudgingly turned to face the person in the hall. "What do you want? And can we make it quick?"

"Funny you should ask, Link. That's exactly why I'm here," Vaati said, standing in the middle of the hallway, blocking my path. "Moroth gave me a chance to finally put you in your place. All I had to do was set this whole thing up. He was pissed you weren't here when he showed up, but we made do." He shook his arms out before taking a step forward. "He's waiting for you up ahead, but I doubt he'll be too mad if I knock you around a bit." I was about to tell him just how bad his threat was when the air distorted in front of him, immediately followed by a huge hit across the face that sent me sprawling to the floor.

As I was getting pushed all over the hall (and probably getting my clothes absolutely filthy in the process), I had a minute or two to think my current situation over. Unless Vaati had been making some serious magical gains, his strength was probably thanks to more of Moroth's interference. I lost my train of thought when my head slammed into one of the lockers and decided it was time to stop being a ragdoll. I grabbed hold of one of the locker handles and managed to pull myself upright again. Vaati's wind swirled around me, considerably less effective now that I was rooted in place. He tried to batter me with sudden gusts again before stopping. I was hopeful he wouldn't start up again. My hair felt like it would never be the same.

"Are you done?" I asked breathlessly. Vaati looked rather annoyed that I wasn't quaking in my boots. Which I wasn't even wearing.

"Are you kidding me? Didn't you see what I can do? I could tear you apart!" I rolled my eyes and drew the Master Sword.

"Look Vaati, I know you've never liked me. Honestly, the feeling's mutual. But I don't have time to hash this out right now. There's people in danger here, and I'll be damned if I let them stay that way." My words seemed to make Vaati madder, even as he eyed my sword.

"And there it is again, your damn hero complex. You've always got to be the one to come to the rescue, always have to be in the spotlight. You're no better than me, you suck-up. At least I'm not playing around behind a façade." Now I was confused.

"Dude, what are you saying?"

"Don't try to play innocent with me!"

"I'm not, I genuinely have no idea what you're talking about." Now I was just getting annoyed.

"You can't hide it from me, I see through you, Forester! You're the suck up, the guy who makes nice with everyone. Putting on this face to try to get everyone to like you. And to make it worse, you don't just play the nice guy, you want to be the hero. You don't want to be liked, you want to be worshiped. But you want to know what I hate the most?" I cocked an eyebrow, waiting for him to get to his point. "It works! It fucking works. You've got most of the population of the school wrapped around your finger, half the girls want you, half the guys want to be you, you somehow manage to get two of the hottest girls in the place to date you back to back, and I am fucking sick of it." At this, he summoned two small tornadoes in his hands. "I'm going to take you down a notch."

He threw his hands out at me, directing the swirling winds at me. I barely had a second to brace myself before the gusts hit me again. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough and my hand slipped from the locker I was holding myself to. This time though, I didn't get pushed all over the hallways, just got sucked into its center where swirling winds held me in place. "Not so fun now, is it?!" Vaati laughed as his winds buffeted me as I was held in place. I managed to get just enough of a foothold on the ground to make a desperate attempt at escape. Holding the Master Sword straight out from my body, I twisted myself as hard as I could opposite the wind. Somehow, I managed to get enough momentum to spin and cut through the miniature tornado. Freed from the winds again, I looked back at Vaati.

"Okay, are you serious? Are you telling me that you are collaborating with terrorists and putting your friends' lives in danger because you refuse to believe that I might just be a good person? News flash Vaati: I don't give a shit what people think of me. The number of people in this school whose opinions of me actually matter to me can be counted on two hands. Everyone else can do what they want. They think I'm a jerk? Great. They want to praise me as a hero? Whatever. I don't want girls throwing themselves at me, I don't want to be idolized, and I definitely don't want to be some self-glorifying bastard." I ran at Vaati, dodging the hasty gusts of wind he threw out at me. "I'm not a good person so I can be a hero, I'm not a good person for the fame and adoration, I'm not a good person for the girls." I spun under one last burst of wind and stood face to face with my long time enemy. "I'm a good person because I decided to be. What kind of person do you choose to be?" I stared at the stunned boy for a second before smacking him in the side of the head with the hilt of the Master Sword.

He went down hard and didn't get back up.

For a second, I worried that I hit him too hard, but I could still see him breathing, so I figured it couldn't be that bad. I hastily turned and ran down the hall the way I had been going before Vaati had interrupted me. Seriously, what a terrible time to sort out a grudge.

I had been walking for about three minutes when I saw a flash of blonde hair disappear around the corner up ahead. I immediately started to run after it, calling to the girl it was attached to.

"Zelda!" A moment after I yelled out, I saw her head poke back around the corner and a smile run across her face. It was really a sight I'd never get tired of. As soon as I got close enough, I threw my arms around her in a tight hug as she laughed.

"Link! It's been fifteen minutes since you saw me! I hardly think-" I cut her off with a hard kiss and smiled when I heard and felt her groan into me. After a few moments, I pulled away.

"What were you saying?" I asked. Her lips were slightly parted, and I saw desire and passion flash in her eyes for a brief moment as she looked at me before she got herself back under control, blinking rapidly.

"Nothing. Did you run into any trouble?" I quickly told her about my run ins with Cremia and Vaati. "I figured you'd have something to deal with. I had kind of the same thing as you with Cremia, but with forty of them. Do you have any idea how many of the girls in this school want you?" I couldn't help but wince.

"Yeah, and I hate it."

"Well, they all hate me now too. What did you even do to make them all want to get in your pants?"

"I don't know. What did I do that made you want to?" My words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. Naturally, they were the most ridiculous thing that I could have possibly said in the moment. It was almost worth the embarrassment I felt to watch Zelda's face go from her usual color to bright red in a matter of seconds. I tried not to laugh.

I really did.

"Link, would you stop it?!" Zelda practically yelled at me as I leaned against the wall, hoping I could get the air back in my lungs before I literally died of laughter. I looked back at her, still giggling. Apparently, I didn't look contrite enough, because she just stomped her foot slightly and crossed her arms in a pout. Which sent me spiraling into another fit of laughter. To my credit, I did try.

"Sorry, it's just…your face…hahaha!" I fell back into my hysterical laughter, the mere memory of her face enough to send me back.

"LINK!"

* * *

We continued through the dark school, eradicating every Poe we came across. They got a little sneakier, coming through walls, floors, and ceilings to swipe at us with their distended limbs, but with a little added vigilance, we kept heading towards the gym unimpeded.

As we cut our way through the spooky ghost hordes, Zelda told me about how she dealt with my group of would-be girlfriends. Apparently, a little mild ghost possession really brings out the hate in people.

"I managed to get the Poes out of them by hitting them with a little light magic and then finishing them off once they came out, but the really tricky part was making sure no one got trampled. I had a hard enough time avoiding tables without insane girls climbing over each other and benches to get to me. They passed out once the Poes were banished, so I had to lead them on a chase through the cafeteria, dealing with one or two at a time. They were practically rabid." I chuckled as a thought came to me.

"So wait, how is that different from when you…" I trailed off as Zelda shot me a look that told me I really didn't want to finish that sentence. At the same time, her hand flew out and grabbed a Poe by the hood, her hand burning with light magic. The poor ghost screeched in agony as my girlfriend slow-roasted it before letting it disappear.

"What were you saying, babe?" she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. Point taken.

"Nothing," I said quickly, cutting through another ghost to avoid saying something I would doubtlessly regret.

"That's what I thought," I heard Zelda mutter from behind me.

Within another two minutes, we saw light pouring through the open doors of the gym. There didn't seem to be any more Poes, so we crept to the door and looked inside. The majority of the teenagers in the gym were crowded onto the bleachers, a few whispering to each other. Midna was walking back and forth, yelling at anyone talking too loudly. Her yelling seemed to work for a second, but the whispers would just start up again once she moved on. She was on the far side of the gym, so it was hard to see for sure, but it looked to me like she had motes of darkness floating around her, similar to when I saw her use magic before.

In the middle of the gym was what really drew my eye though. Shade stood there, stiff as a board, while Moroth walked around him, talking quietly. I couldn't hear what he was saying, but I didn't think it was anything good.

"Hey, didn't you cut his arm off?" Zelda asked from beside me. I took another look and realized she was right. Just like how Keritan had alluded to earlier, Moroth had his arm back, looking none the worse for having lost it just a few days ago. I snuck as close as I could while still staying mostly hidden by the door. Fortunately, everyone in the gymnasium seemed pretty occupied. Except for one guy.

I was looking the room over again, trying to come up with a plan of attack when my eyes locked with the same guy who had delivered my pizza the other day. I figured his name was Toral since he was the only person who could have leaked Zelda and my relationship. After a second of eye contact, I saw him get visibly excited. Before he could do something stupid like announce that I was hiding out in the hallway, I quickly made a shushing motion with my hand. It looked like his eyes went wide and he nodded subtly. I breathed a sigh of relief that our hiding spot wasn't blown yet.

And then Toral turned to the guy next to him.

Before I could do anything, whispers cascaded through the crowd and furtive glances were shot at me hiding behind the gym door. I'm sure they were trying to be subtle, but when about 80 people are all trying to keep the same secret, things break down pretty quickly. Midna caught onto the glances and whispers and whipped around to see me crouched in the doorway like an idiot. Seeing that I wasn't going to be able to hide anymore, I grudgingly walked into the now quiet gym. Making sure to shoot a dirty look at Toral on the way. At least he had the nerve to look apologetic.

Moroth spun away from Shade to look at me as I walked in. I thought I saw just a hint of a smile on his apathetic face. "The fool makes his appearance. Finally. You have no idea how annoyed I was when you weren't here earlier. After all the work I put into this trap, you couldn't even be bothered to be in it when it was sprung. Instead, all I got was a look-alike and a swarm of idiots. You're lucky I didn't just kill them all. I considered it, of course, but I figured they'd be better bait. Oh, and look at this," he said in his normal monotone as Zelda walked in behind me. "The divine whore's here too. I guess it was too much to hope that you got torn apart by the wonder idiot's fan club. Still, I tried."

"Cut the shit, Moroth," I yelled, once again getting annoyed with the man. "I'm here now, what do you want?"

"What do I want? It's a long list, but I'll give you the short version. I want payback. You should be dead, so now I'm going to make you just that. Lucky for me, I found a few useful helpers. The Twili was too easy. Just a little more dark magic than she was used to and all of a sudden she's trapped inside herself. And this guy." He gestured back at Shade, who hadn't moved a muscle. "The inside of his head is a mess. What resentment, all directed at you. He does love you, you know, your brother. Such a shame that I'm going to have him kill you. You can rest assured though, he doesn't want to. He put up a good resistance before I broke him." Moroth rubbed his hands together, making a sound like metal rubbing against metal. "Enough talk though. Time to die, whelp."

Once again, Moroth burst into dark flames, but this time when they cleared, a long black sword floated in the air where he had been. It spun in place for a moment before flying into Shade's hand, who finally made a move, walking towards me and staring vacantly.

"Shade, you all right man?" I called out tentatively. No answer. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Zelda step up next to me and Midna moving towards us as well. "You take Midna?" I asked Zelda, who nodded and walked off to the side pulling Midna away from me. "Last chance Shade," I said when he was just a few yards in front of me. Still no reaction. Seeing that it was useless, I pulled the Master Sword from its sheath and blocked a heavy strike from my brother.

Shade flew at me like a man possessed, which, come to think of it, was more than likely. Normally, I would have counted on Zelda to exorcise the ghost, but she was a little busy dodging tentacles of dark magic from Midna. Looked like I was going to have to do things the hard way. As I should have expected.

"Sorry about this, but I think you'll thank me later," I muttered, slipping through Shade's guard and pressing the glowing blade of the Master Sword against his chest. Shade blinked but was otherwise unaffected. I had to roll out of the way to avoid an incoming swipe. I tried again at the next opportunity, scoring a light scratch on his arm, but again there was no reaction. "Okay, so maybe not possessed."

After a few minutes of not getting anywhere, Shade jumped back, out of the range of my attacks. The sword in his hand morphed from a straight blade a little shorter than my own to a nasty twisted cleaver. Hooks along the edges looked like sure-fire ways to get disarmed, which would probably end up with me dead.

As we fought, I knew I had to come up with a way to end this before one or both of us got seriously hurt. Shade clearly wasn't pulling his punches. My brother might not have been possessed, but something was clearly controlling him, like with Cremia. If I could figure out what it was, I could stop this. But as I looked over Shade's body, I didn't see anything out of place or glowing with malevolent energy, other than the large sword in his hand. "But wait," I thought as I ducked a vicious swipe. "Maybe Moroth didn't teleport like I thought. Maybe he's controlling him with the sword? He did say he was in Shade's head. I bet if I disarm Shade, he'll stop."

Finally with a plan of action, I traded a few more blows with me brother before catching one of the jagged flanges of his blade with my own, tearing the sword from his grip with a quick twist. The dark sword jumped from his hand and went skittering across the gym floor. Just like I thought, Shade stumbled and blinked rapidly, falling to one knee. What I didn't expect though was for his sword to come flying back across the room. He quickly caught it and resumed his onslaught. I tried again, only to be met with the same result. Even when I tried to knock the sword out of the air, it just adjusted its course and returned to Shade's hand.

"You think I haven't come up with ways to prevent such basic tactics?" My eyes snapped up to Shade when I heard the voice, but his lips didn't move. The sword itself was talking. "I'm a blade demon, you imbecile. Just disarming him won't do you any good." Now I could see where Moroth went. He was the blade. Finally seeing that my real enemy was so close, I redoubled my efforts. Maybe I could pummel the sword hard enough to break it.

In an effort to get some stronger hits on the sword, I couldn't just block the attacks, but manipulate them to try and get Shade in a position that I could let loose on the sword. In the end, I just ended up taking a few hits to my arms and torso. None of them were particularly bad, but I could tell I was getting worn down while Shade didn't seem to be having any problems. Benefits of being mind controlled, I guess.

"Split them up!" I heard someone yell from the side of the room. I gave them a glare like I hadn't already thought of that, but then realized it was Vaati yelling at me. I must have looked pretty confused, because Vaati yelled again. "Just do it!" Figuring I didn't have anything to lose, I took advantage of an opening in Shade's guard to plant a strong kick to the middle of his chest. As I hoped, his grip on the demonic blade loosened and the dark sword fell to the ground while Shade slid away. The sword tried to fly back to Shade's hand again, but suddenly stopped in midair. Near Shade, I could see Vaati focusing and as I looked again, I could see the tell-tale shimmer of his wind magic near the sword, which soon dropped to the ground.

"Stupid turncoat," it said, twisting and expanding until Moroth stood at the edge of the wind barrier. "I'll end this pathetic whelp myself then. And then, Vaati, I'll make you scream." Moroth turned back towards me where I was waiting. While he had been distracted, I looked over at Zelda, who looked to be doing just fine, throwing an enormous amount of light magic at Midna. I didn't have time to figure out what was going on before Moroth walked towards me.

"Alright then, boy. Let's see how long you last against a real opponent." Moroth's body jerked as sharp points poked through his clothes, shredding them to pieces. Black blades of every shape and length pushed their way through his ruined clothes and I realized they weren't just coming through his body, they actually were his body. His entire torso, arms, legs, and head were a twisted, jagged amalgamation of swords and daggers. "No shame in being afraid," he said, probably assuming my shock was fear. "You're facing a real demon now."

"Oh, I'm not afraid," I shot back, raising the Master Sword. "Just thinking about how useless it is to have so many swords when they're all shit." Moroth roared and jumped at me, a literal whirlwind of angry metal.

I dodged and ducked around his attacks, jumping over blades that flew at me from his twisted body. Right from when I landed the first attack though, I could tell this fight was different. With every swing, the Master Sword cut through the demon's slices like they were nothing. Metal shattered and fell to pieces with my every parry and cut. I'm sure there was some magical reason for my newfound success, but all I cared about in the moment was that I was finally able to take this monster down.

Moroth roared in rage, finally displaying emotion as I hacked away at his body. Finally, I felt my victory. The demon's attacks grew less frequent, he took more steps back, and I could see the metal of his body severely corroded from my own attacks. At last, I saw a flaw in Moroth's defense and slammed the Master Sword down, chopping his arm off once again, the sound of broken metal ringing through the gymnasium. Without giving him a moment to recover, I spun around and brought my sword down on his leg as well, crippling him.

"This is it, bastard." I said, watching Moroth's swirling eyes of darkness flit around, trying to find some avenue of escape. "Nothing else for you to do. You shouldn't have tried to fuck with my family."

"My failure doesn't matter, you incompetent whelp. You'll never be able to defeat my master. He is a god! And what are you?! A pathetic weakling, playing at bravery. You've seen nothing yet. Ruin will teach you the really meaning of fear! And he's going to enjoy watching you break, boy." I took a slow step towards the crippled demon, who looked like he was kneeling on what used to be the joint of his leg.

"You know, you keep calling me 'boy,'" I said slowly, pulling the Master Sword back. "You've got it wrong, Moroth. I'm no boy. Your your so-called master doesn't stand a chance, god or no. Know why?" His eyes flashed with confusion and my face split into a smirk. "I'm the Reincarnated Hero of Legend, bitch."

I slammed the Master Sword forward, stabbing the sword demon right through his surprised face. My blade flashed, and I watched the darkness in Moroth's eyes fade away before his whole body rusted away, crumbling to dust.

Damn, that felt good.

Cheers erupted from the bleachers, making me jump in surprise. I had been so focused on the fight that I had forgotten we had an audience. I quickly made sure Shade, Midna, and Zelda were all okay, and was relieved to see none of them seemed worse for wear. Zelda was helping a dazed looking Midna off the floor and Shade was sitting up from where he had been sprawled on the floor, holding his head. I immediately ran over to him as my classmates trickled out of the stands.

"Oh goddesses, my head…" Shade groaned as I helped him stand up. He almost fell over right away, forcing me to catch him and thread his arm over my shoulders for support.

"You alright?" I asked as we moved over to Midna and Zelda. My twin blinked hard a few times as he came back to himself.

"Yeah, I will be. Whatever that dipshit did to me, I would not recommend it. It's like hangover, but for your entire body. I can feel my blood flowing, I don't think its supposed to do that. Oh, gods…" he groaned again, gratefully sinking to sit against the bleachers when I put him down. Midna was quick to scoot up next to him, both of them supporting each other. I turned to see Zelda standing next to me, and she quickly enveloped me in a tight hug.

"You're not hurt too badly, are you?" she asked, looking me over. I shook my head.

"No, a few cuts and bruises, but nothing terrible. I'll be okay for now at least. You alright too?" Zelda nodded.

"A little tired from all the magic. I basically had to force a ton of dark magic out of Midna, which kind of sucked, but I'll be fine with a little rest." I let myself get lost in her eyes for a moment before looking up and seeing all of our classmates surrounding us, watching with everything from awe to envy, and all looking for answers.

"Well, looks like that rest is going to have to wait for a bit. I don't think we're going to get out of here any time soon."

* * *

 _Okay, first things first, I literally just finished writing this and I really want to be done with this chapter, so if there's anything wrong as far as grammar or spelling goes, I'm sorry. But I just don't care. Plus, I don't do all that much checking anyways, so it's probably fine. Now that that's out of the way..._

 _Hello~! Guten tag! Aloha! Bonjour! Something else, I don't know. I really just want to get this up for you guys. Because geez, this chapter has not been the easiest to write. You remember a while back when I wrote Chapter 27 in a day? I do, because I really loved that chapter. One of the best, in my opinion._

 _Whoever it was that desperately wanted to see Vaati back (I'm sorry, I can't remember and I can't be bothered to go back and look), here you go, this chapter is for you. Now shut up about it. Not really, but you know what I mean. Also, yes, I stole Link's finisher from Guardians of the Galaxy. Because it's an awesome line._

 _Okay, enough rambling (for now), reviews. Garion, yes, sweeping carpet. Because my dorm/apartment bedroom has carpet, but I don't have a vacuum and its dirty and sweeping it doesn't help much. Not sure what you meant about the thing and the title, but I'm sure I had a good reason for whatever it is. Because of course I did. Maybe, but I would have had to have Groose in the story before in order to do that. Chekhov's gun and all that, can't just drop something in. That's just lazy writing. Also, Moroth is mad (as mad as he gets, damn emotionless jerk), but he's also working on the fly. So all his traps and obstacles are kind of thrown together, like with the sign. Improvised as shit. Not a dog guy, sorry. And I did, thanks! Twilit Lord, glad you get it, I tried really hard to make that make sense. Glad someone got a kick out of it. And no, Gust Bellows are from Skyward Sword, Gust Jar was in Minish Cap. Totally different! And I'll let you have the Roc's Cape, but only if you look fabulous in it. Nightwing, the necklace is indeed beautiful, but it also serves the almighty role of symbolism, and thus it must be broken, to reflect how their romantic relationship is completely broken and gone. You make a good point about the contingencies. All the same, I wish you good luck. Foopuff, I do my best to make all the villains memorable in some way. Moroth's emotionless, Keritan's a flamboyant dick. Glad you enjoy it. And yes, poor Moroth was really annoyed. You bet it does. Yes, all Hylians have pointed ears. There are no humans in this story. Damn Twilight Princess, confusing things. To clarify, rounded ears (of which there are none here), human, pointed ears, Hylian. Thank you much, I tried. That fun is going to happen next time, so continue to come back, I guess. The scythe I justify by her being a farm girl, and they've got scythes on farms. It was either that or a pitchfork, but that's not nearly as cool. I believe the rest of your musings have been answered already. Sand Seal, I don't know if I would say just in time for Christmas, but sure! Cremia's kind of back, but not as a romantic rival. Sorry, but she's got nothing on Zelda. No Twinrova, sorry. They do mind-control, but I think the gems are just a Gerudo thing, since most/all Gerudo have gemstones on their person. But how do they stay on their heads? We will never know._

 _Sweet, that's done. You guys always cheer me up with your reviews, so thank you so much for that. I really do appreciate it. Miscellaneous stuff here, posted a new chapter to 'Revival of the Goddess' showing Chapters 7/8 when Link passes out during the presentation, so read that if you haven't. Also, if someone could make the week go faster, that'd be great. Not because I'm excited to start school again next week, but because I need more new anime to watch. I want more, but they won't give it to me! The nerve. Don't know how many of you have played Terraria, but if you haven't you should, because it's really fun and I might write a story that kind of follows it's "plot", if you can call it that. I think it'd be interesting, and I thought of it last night, so we'll see. Rambling. I'm good at it, did you notice?_

 _Also, because I need more projects, do any of you have any little one-shot type Zelink story ideas? Because I'd love to write something like that, but I have a tendency to want to write long stories more than one-shots. They're just more rewarding. I ask because I'd love to make you one-shot ideas come true, written by yours truly. So if you have an idea that you're willing to give away, PM with a setting, loose collection of ideas, scenario, or something like that. I shall do my best to come up with something to fit your fantasies and shall credit you with the idea or whatever. And if not, cool. I'll still be working on this, don't worry. I'm in too deep to back out now._

 _I think that's enough. If I wanted to, I could go on and on with this, so let's just stop now while we all still care. Thanks again for reading everyone and don't forget to leave a review and tell me how much I suck! Or how good it was, I guess that works too. Whatever floats your boat. Anyways, thanks again, and don't forget to always have peanut butter with your chocolate! Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


	30. Chapter 30

The hardest part of the whole school attack wasn't explaining what happened. I mean, that wasn't all that easy anyways, but it was trivial to convincing everyone that they couldn't. Tell. Anyone.

Not only for the sake of our quest either. I couldn't begin to imagine what the media would do if they found out there was basically a terrorist hostage incident at a school in the suburbs of the biggest metropolis in the country, and that the whole incident was due to a pissed off demon and resolved by two eighteen-year-olds.

I'd never be left alone again, and that was just in my neighborhood.

Eventually, Zelda and I (with a few half-veiled threats) managed to convince everyone who had been there to never breath a word of the incident to anyone else. And I made sure to specify that no, they couldn't tell their best friend. No, they couldn't talk about it with people who had been here. As far as I was concerned, they were never to bring up the incident ever again. Finally finished, I had a few minutes to sit with Shade, Zelda, and Midna against the wall of the school while everyone milled around outside.

"Well, that should keep them from talking for a few weeks," I said with a sigh. Midna laughed.

"Maybe if you're lucky. If I know this school, you'll never be able to walk these halls again without being swarmed by people who want to meet the school idol." I groaned half-heartedly, knowing she was right, eliciting laughter from the other three.

"Um, Link?" I glanced up, staring at the girl who was standing in front of me. "I just wanted to thank you for saving all of us. I thought you were really brave, fighting that guy in the gym. I was wondering if you might want to hang out sometime?" Her voice lifted hopefully at the end of her question. I just kept staring at her for a moment before answering.

"I'm kind of busy with a lot of stuff right now."

The girl flushed slightly, and her smile dropped just a fraction. "Oh, that's fine. Here, if you change your mind, that's my number." She handed me a scrap of paper with a few numbers written on it and the name 'Mara'. "Thanks again," she said before walking away. As soon as she wasn't looking, I rolled my eyes and crumpled the paper into a ball.

Zelda leaned over to speak quietly. "That was one of the girls I knocked out in the cafeteria. I saw them all watching by the door of the gym while we were fighting. I don't think your fan club is getting any smaller." I thought I detected a note of bitterness in her voice at the mention of the horde of girls I wanted absolutely nothing to do with, and I suddenly realized this was the perfect opportunity to deal with the whole thing.

"Want to put the whole mess to rest?" I asked Zelda, giving her a conspiratorial grin. She looked cautious but nodded. Together, we walked over to a nearby table and jumped up on top of it. "Yo!" I yelled, quickly getting everyone's attention. I waited for a few moments to let conversations die out and get everyone's eyes on me before speaking, raising my voice to make sure everyone could hear me.

"Alright everyone, it's come to my attention that there are some rumors going around about me. Some of them say I'm dating Zelda." I gestured at Zelda who gave a small wave. "Some of them say I'm not dating anyone and am free for the taking." I saw a few eyes light up in the crowd. "Some of you seem to think that no matter what my dating status is, I'm willing to sleep with you if you let me know you want me. I want to give you a definitive answer and make sure there are no mistakes." I paused for a moment to let it sink in.

"This is Zelda Harkinian." I stopped and quickly spun to Zelda, grabbing her and kissing her fiercely on the lips. I felt Zelda jolt in surprise in my arms and heard a collective gasp rise from the crowd watching us. After a moment, I released Zelda, who stared at me with shock on her face, and turned back to the crowd, who were waiting on my next word. "And I love her with everything I have. I look forward to being in love with her for the rest of my life. And none of you can do anything about that. If you have any hopes or thoughts of being with me in any way other than as a friend, I'll encourage you to throw those ideas away right now. My choice is made, and that's the end of it. Whatever you're planning to try and lure me away from her, stop it. It's irritating, annoying, and obnoxious. And most importantly, it's not going to work. Got it? Good." I took a step to jump off the table when another thought came to me. "Oh yeah, and to any guys looking at my girlfriend, just remember. I'm the one with the sword, and I think I've proven I know how to use it. It's in your best interests not to try anything. And yes, you can tell all your friends about this." With that I did a quick flip off the table, just for show, and walked back to where Shade and Midna were, watching them fall over themselves with laughter.

"Oh my gods, you should have seen their faces," Shade said between gasping breaths. He tried to say something else but fell apart laughing instead. Midna spoke up for him.

"I think I saw a girl start crying at the back!" She took a few shuddering breaths. "How fucking stupid is that?!"

"What would you do if I did the same thing?" Shade asked Midna, who was trying to get a hold of herself. She thought for a second before leaning over and whispering something in his ear. I couldn't hear what it was, but my twin's eyes immediately went wide, and he tried to push himself off the ground. Key word: tried. Almost immediately, he groaned in pain and slumped back against the wall.

Midna giggled. "I knew you wouldn't be able to get up." Shade just gave her a sneaky smile.

"Oh, we'll still do that. You can't resist my charms for long. I think we proved that extensively." Midna rolled her eyes.

"We both know there's only one part of you I can't resist, and it's not your charms." I immediately wanted to wash my ears out with acid.

"Oh gosh, guys, TMI. Did not need to hear that," I muttered as I sat back down next to my brother, who promptly punched me in the arm. I couldn't help but notice that he winced just from that small movement alone. "Try not to push yourself too hard," I said sarcastically. He just muttered for me to go do nasty things to myself.

A minute later, I saw Zelda walking towards us, annoyance written on her face. She dropped down next to me with a sigh. "You know," she said. "As much as I appreciate you doing that, two things. One, please tell me first before you go to profess your love for me in public. I didn't need that surprise today. Second, while you may have solved your problem, now all your adorers have decided to live vicariously through me and have been pestering me for the last five minutes about every single aspect of our relationship." I immediately felt guilty, and I could tell it showed. "I finally had to scare them off with magic to get them to stop bothering me. So, before you do something so incredibly sweet again…" She trailed off, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek. "Just make sure you have an escape plan. Because next time, I'm just going to save myself the trouble and blast someone." I nodded in assent.

"Sounds like a plan. Does that mean I can do this again, as long as I tell you about it beforehand?" My girlfriend rolled her eyes at me and kissed me again. Worth it.

We sat there for a few more minutes before I saw Vaati coming over to us. I hesitantly stood to meet him, not sure what his deal was. On one hand, he did help me beat Moroth. On the other, years upon years of rivalry didn't just disappear. He stared at me evenly for a moment.

"I just wanted to say you don't owe me anything. I helped you out, but as far as I'm concerned, you did the same for me. I get where you're coming from. And," he paused a moment, seemingly conflicted with himself. "I have to admit, that was some good advice you gave me. So we're even."

I was surprised by his amicability. "Does this mean we're cool?" I asked. He looked at me again for a moment.

"We're not friends. But yeah, we're cool." A quick nod from both of us and he walked away, disappearing into the slowly thinning crowd. I leaned against the wall with a sigh.

"That was weird." I heard a sound of assent from my brother. Suddenly, my eyes caught Cremia standing at the edge of her group of friends. "I'll be right back," I said quickly, walking towards my ex before I could stop myself. She saw me coming, eyes widening slightly, before motioning to meet me a little way away. I followed her to a nearby tree where we stood next to each other in an awkward silence for a minute.

"I'm sorry you had to hear my outburst," I said finally. "I wasn't thinking of you in the crowd, just all the girls that wouldn't stop throwing themselves at me." I saw Cremia shake her head out of the corner of my eye.

"I know." She didn't say anything for a moment. "I'm just sorry for what I said in the school earlier. It didn't feel like me, not really, but those feelings came from me. Some dark part of myself. And it tears me up to see how stupid I was. I should have seen your courage for what it was, what it is." She stopped again before giving a hollow chuckle. "In the end, I lost you. Of all the stupid things I've done, that takes the cake. And now I have to see you with the love of your life and know that she could have been me."

"This is probably the wrong thing to say, but I think it always would have been Zelda," I said quietly, not sure how Cremia would take what I was going to say. "She's not just the love of my life, she's the love of all of them. I get flashes of my past lives sometimes. Images, sounds…feelings. I haven't always ended up with her, but she's always had my heart. I know that much. But I think this is the best for all of us. Zelda's meant for me, and I'm meant for her. But I think you're meant for someone too, Cremia. I don't know who he is or when you'll find him, but I can tell you that he's going to be perfect for you. You certainly deserve as much, if not for putting up with me, then for putting up with Shade and Sheik." I looked over to Cremia, who had a strange combination of emotions on her face. We looked at each other for a moment before she stepped towards me and wrapped her arms around me. A moment later, I was returning her hug, knowing this would be the last time I would hold her like this. "I'll always be grateful that I got to be with you Cremia."

"Well, we'd better still be friends," she said, pulling away from me with a small smile on her face. "I can't imagine what Romani would do if Sheik never came over to play with her again." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." My laughter trailed off as Cremia leaned forward and lightly kissed my cheek.

"Bye Link," she whispered before turning and walking away.

"Bye."

* * *

Zelda found me a little while later, sitting in the same tree Cremia and I had been standing under. I had wanted to get away from everyone for a while and relax for the first time since that afternoon. I didn't know what time it was, but I could see the sun starting to set through the leaves. Zelda looked around for a moment before spying me in the branches.

"That's where you went," she said. "Everyone else's gone home. Shade and Midna were the last ones and they just left." I nodded, keeping my eyes on the sun through the tree's leaves, back against the tree trunk and legs hanging freely to either side of the branch I was perched on. I heard the ground rumble slightly and glanced down to see Zelda perched on a rising pillar of dirt. She smiled prettily as she perched herself on the same branch as me.

"You could have climbed up you know," I said jokingly.

Zelda just smiled more. "I know, but why should I when I can magic my way up? Way easier." I scoffed.

"Of course, forgive me, your Grace. How foolish of me to suggest you stoop to the same level as the mortals you choose to live among. Wouldn't want you to dirty your holy hands." Zelda laughed and smacked me on the arm. "Careful," I warned. "One wrong move and you'll have to find yourself a new hero, your Immaculateness."

"Maybe I should," she joked, her own shorter legs kicking at mine. "I hadn't realized this one would be so impertinent."

I shot her a smirk. "You love me." Zelda's eyes softened, and she leaned forward.

"Yeah…" Her voice faded away as she kissed me. We sat there for a while, intermittently watching the sun drop towards the horizon and exchanging soft kisses. After a while of just sitting in silence, Zelda suddenly started laughing. I looked at her questioningly.

"I just realized we're literally acting out that old teasing song," she said, still giggling. I looked at her confused, not getting it. "The one about sitting in a tree, kissing?" she clarified, and I immediately realized what she meant. I also immediately jumped out of the tree, rolling on the grass to lessen my impact.

"I refuse to play a part in this! I will not let that song apply to me!" I screamed as I ran away, hearing Zelda laugh uproariously behind me.

"Link, it's not that bad!" she yelled after me.

"Yeah it is! And I will not have any part in it!" I ran to my car, Zelda trailing behind me, still laughing. I couldn't help but smile at the sound.

* * *

That night, Zelda and I were cuddled up on my couch, watching the same Labrynnian cooking show we had turned on before. It fit a good niche of being funny and entertaining to watch while also being easily tuned out. Shade was over at Midna's house, likely doing unspeakable things, and Sheik and Hunter were still at the Castle. I had called Hunter earlier to tell him about what happened, but he hadn't been all that concerned. On one hand, it was nice to be trusted to deal with situations like that, but at the same time, I had a feeling like he maybe should be more concerned that his nephews had almost died.

After a while, Zelda turned the TV off and we sat there, enjoying each other's quiet company. Somehow, my head ended up in her lap as she ran her fingers through my hair, talking about the most ridiculous things.

"What do you think we do next?" she asked at some point. I quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, I'm fine with staying right here, but if you wanted to go upstairs…" Zelda looked at me quizzically for a moment before she understood what I mean, followed quickly by a light smack on the head.

"Not like that. I meant with the quest. We don't really have anything to go of off for our next step. And I'm not really a fan of waiting for trouble to come find us."

"I know, me either. Maybe we text Felia tomorrow, see if she has any ideas. Maybe she and the Sheikah have some clue. Hell, we don't even know where Ruin is hiding out."

"Yeah, good point. I'll give her a call tomorrow morning. Until then, I need to get home." I reluctantly sat up, letting Zelda stand from the couch.

"Not going to stay with your awesome boyfriend?" I asked, but Zelda shook her head.

"No, my dad's home now, and I want to see him while I can. Plus, I don't want to introduce you to him until I know you're not going to end up dead in a week."

I feigned hurt, lifting an affronted hand to my chest. "Me, die? Who would deal such a thoughtless blow to this beautiful world? We both know I am the light of the world, after all." Zelda laughed, looping her arms around my shoulder and looking up at me with those beautiful blue eyes.

"I'm not sure about the world, but you're the light of my life. But I'm not sharing, so I guess the rest of Hyrule is going to have to find another light." I dropped down to meet her lips with my own.

"I'm okay with that," I muttered, before my girlfriend returned my lips to hers.

* * *

Nothing happened the next day, other than Shade coming home and us hanging out for a while. Zelda decided to spend the day with her father and Midna was reportedly busy too. Not that that was a problem. We were both completely capable of entertaining ourselves without our respective girlfriends.

True to her word, Zelda had called Felia, but she didn't have any more of an idea than we did. She promised to look into options and get back to us though.

That night, I was lying in bed, flipping through my phone when I heard an odd noise from the backyard. Sort of a muffled thump followed by someone walking around. They were trying to be quiet, but with no other noise and my heightened senses, I could tell they were there. I peeked out my window, trying to see who was out there. At first, I couldn't see anything, but when the moon poked out of the sparse clouds, I could see a number of hunched over, shuffling shapes walking across the yard. And they didn't look human.

I snuck downstairs to get a closer look and heard a thud of something hitting the back door. Looking through the window, I saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes staring back at me. Whatever I was looking at immediately let out a rather wet sounding growl before smacking the door again. I could also see the rest of the shuffling monsters turn towards the house and start to move towards it.

Cursing up a storm, I ran back up to my room and pulled out the Master Sword, tossing the sheath on the bed. I swiped the Hylian Shield from where it was leaning against the wall and charged back downstairs, running out the front door and circling around the back. Just as I had hoped, all the creatures were crowded around the door, trying to get in, leaving them wide open from the back. I immediately went to work, tearing them apart.

To my absolute delight, I realized quickly that these weren't just any monsters, but undead ones. Rotten, foul smelling, shambling, the whole deal. Only instead of cutting off their head, I could only kill them by stabbing the Master Sword through their chests, destroying the source of whatever dark magic kept them animated. And let me tell you, there's nothing more disgusting than a zombie still coming after you with an arm and half its head gone. Luckily, the monsters were slow and clumsy. So while killing them completely was a bit of a chore, incapacitating them was not. A few deft swings and their legs were gone, leaving them to try to drag themselves after me. After that, it was just a matter of finishing them off and watching them crumble to ash.

Shade had apparently heard me slaughtering the horde and came down to see what was going on. He had a disgusted look on his face as I went around stabbing zombies in either their chest or their back.

"That's just nasty," he said once I was finished. I hurriedly brushed a bit of monster ash off my shirt. The stuff was gross and got everywhere.

"Yeah, you're telling me. What the hell though? Why would there be zombies in our back yard?"

"Well, assuming that this isn't some freak chance, I'd say your big bad is trying to get rid of you discreetly. Which probably means-"

"Oh shit, Zelda," I realized, booking it towards the street and her house.

Turned out I was right. As I rounded the corner, I could see more zombies around Zelda's house. A few were at the door, fruitlessly banging on it, but others had started to scale the house and were almost in reach of Zelda's window. Acting instinctively and with a shout, I swung the Master Sword at the creatures clawing at my girlfriend's window. Just like it had when I fought Moroth the first time, blue energy flew out of the blade, arcing through the night to cut the climber in half. It let out a dying gurgle before it fell into two pieces and tumbled from the house. Seeing that all the others were still a ways from the window, I went to work slaughtering any still on ground level.

As I gutted another of the creatures, cutting him in half from head to toe, I heard a shrill scream and saw a bright light from the corner of my vision. I turned and saw Zelda with her head and arm out her window, open palm towards the climbing zombies. Well, what was left of them, at least. Within a minute, I had reduced the few remaining monsters to ash and Zelda was coming out the front door.

"What in the fuck was that?" she asked immediately, looking me over for any wounds. Luckily, I had managed to avoid getting hurt at all.

"No idea, I heard them outside my house and dealt with them before figuring that you might have some here too," I said quickly. "I didn't see any others on my way over here though, so I think they were just targeting us." Zelda nodded, and I could see the gears of her mind turning.

"The enemy's getting restless. Apparently, we've proven ourselves to be enough of a threat to warrant some attention."

Zelda and I talked for a few more minutes before she went back inside, and I walked back to my house. I did my best to hide my sword from any prying eyes, not wanting to get the cops called on me by someone who saw a lunatic with a sword running around in the middle of the night. Fortunately, I made it home no problem. Just as I dropped back down onto my bed, my phone buzzed. Checking it, I immediately answered when I saw it was Zelda.

"What is it? Are you alright?" I asked hurriedly, ready to run back over to her if something was wrong.

"I'm fine, but Felia just texted me, saying the castle had an incident. She needs us to head over there first thing in the morning. She said she might have a clue to what we have to do next."

"Sounds good. Pick you up at 7 tomorrow?"

"Sure," she said, hanging up. I fell back onto my bed, closing my eyes.

On one hand, I was worried about the attack on the castle. No way was it a coincidence that there was an attack there at the same time as one on me and Zelda. The whole thing screamed bad news. But on the other, it sounded like we might have a lead on what to do next, something we desperately needed. With hope and anticipation for the coming day, I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

 _What's this, another chapter? You're damn right, another chapter! Because apparently when I don't have school or work and I don't feel like playing video games, I write! Lucky for you guys. Just don't get spoiled. School starts this week, so who know's when the next chapter will come out. It might be soon, it might not, we'll just have to see._

 _This time around, we get that sweet, sweet PDA, Cremia and Vaati get dealt with (finally), and there's a bit of foreshadowing. Though I'm not sure if it counts as foreshadowing if its just what happens next. Hmmm... Anyways, mostly a filler chapter, but I think that's okay. Got to resolve those hanging plot threads somehow._

 _On a little bit of a side note, I've been working on a Zelink fluff piece a little now that I have a solid idea of what sort of setting I'll have for it and a few story beats planned. That might be coming out in a few days, depending on how much I feel like working on it. So if that interests you (and I know it certainly does for some of you), either obsessively check my profile or just follow it. Then if I post a new story, you're the first to know. Either works, but if you choose the first, I seriously wonder about you._

 _On to the reviews (amended because I suck). Sand Seal, (sorry I missed you, it is Twilit Lord's fault) I am alive, but that's a little bit drastic. Glad you liked it, glad the fights were satisfying, and, as usual, the fluff was to your admittedly somewhat low standards. Because at this point, I'm pretty sure just Link and Zelda looking at each ohter would set you off. I tried the coffee shop thing, but ended up with too many ideas spilling over for another story, so I went and wrote that instead. Maybe in the future. Twilit Lord, Vaati is here, I'd like to think of him as that guy you love to hate. He's not really a bad guy, just a teen with a bit of angst and a grudge. And why would you steal my jar, that was a decorative piece! Nightwing, not really. We're going to be working with a set of three coming up here, but I'm not exactly sure what that's going to look like yet. I've got the beginning and end planned, but not the middle yet. So maybe. Kind of. I too have read much worse than what I post, but the little things still bother me. Foopuff, indeed. And you're right, I think that's something sword spirits/demons/whatever they are don't think about. Do they feel it? Do they care? Hard to say. Not sure if you mean my Vaati or just Vaati in general, but sure. And yeah, King Bulblin's pretty cool. Toral the Pizza Guy is my designated 'throw under the bus' guy at this point, and I have no regrets. Not sure why that's your favorite quote, but good for you, bravo, good job. I do my best to make Shade as cool as possible, even though he's destined to take a backseat to Link. As far as the fangirl army, we saw a little more of them here, but I'll eventually get around to a Zelda chapter of her dealing with all of them. I think that'd be really funny. Oracle of Hylia, the next chapter is coming now, stay on top of things here. That's very high praise and I'm touched and honored you think so. Thank you very much and I hope I see you here again. Twilit Lord, no idea what you mean. That doesn't seem relevant at-ALL GLORY TO THE HYPNOTOAD. (Honestly had no idea what this was until I looked it up. I honestly have no idea what to do with you.)_

 _Not sure I have much else to say here. I'm finally done with the school incident, which has been an unexpected chore to write, so now we get to start moving towards the end. Don't worry, it won't be here for a while yet (oh gosh, so much to write), but we are creeping towards it. I'm thinking maybe, about, possibly another...25 chapters? Like I say, it's going to be a while, but as far a big plot points go, we're moving right along. I had the introductory bit, the Fountain dungeons, the School Incident, the mysterious next bit, and the final fight planned originally. Which is to say I had a rough idea at first, but things have come together pretty well. The next portion will take a while and so will the final fight, plus whatever epilogue I come up with, but we're steadily creeping towards it. Never fear though, I've got lots more ideas (the fluff piece) in the works and I'm sure I'll come up with other stuff too. That said, your encouragement goes a long way towards keeping me motivated. So please leave a review if you have the time and let me know if you're enjoying the story. Tell me when you found the story, what you think of Link and Zelda, if you think Shade and Midna have had sex, what color your hair is, whatever you want! I love reading every review I get and appreciate them so much. So here's to that and the next chapter. Have a good one and don't brush your teeth with nail-polish remover!_

 _~Aro_


	31. Chapter 31

I woke up as early as I could the next day considering the amount of sleep I got. Which ended up being about 6:20. With a quick curse and a fast shower, I shoved any bits and bobs I thought I might need into one of my magic pouches. I never got tired of shoving an entire arsenal and a change of clothes into a bag the size of a mason jar.

To my surprise, Shade was waiting downstairs for me as I left. "The hell are you doing up?" I asked as I grabbed a container of yogurt from the fridge and started shoveling it into my mouth.

"Never went back to sleep. I'm impressed you could after seeing zombie monsters try to eat us last night." I shrugged noncommittally.

"Not the worst I've seen. You don't know fear until you've seen swarms of demon wasps and giant acid-spitting plants." Shade stared at me for a moment, entirely deadpanned, before speaking again.

"If it was anyone else, I'd be calling them a liar. But, unfortunately, I know that you've actually fought those." He sighed deeply and I heard him mutter a few words. "How is it that you're this grand hero and I'm just here?"

I immediately paused in my frantic search for something else to eat and looked at my brother, who was staring vacantly at the oven. "Being a hero isn't some cakewalk, you know. I can't tell you how many times I could have died so far if I had just been a little slower or a little less cautious. It's dangerous, terrifying, and practically nightmare inducing." Shade nodded slowly.

"But you love it." I jumped to deny it, but he kept going. "You're exhilarated by the challenge. Every new danger is a new test of your unshakable resolve. And you're a part of something bigger than yourself. You have a goal, your life has meaning, and you have a place you know you belong in the world."

I leaned back against the wall, trying to come up with the best way to answer. I thought I could see what was bothering him, at least a little.

"I won't say you're wrong. Being the Hero is the perfect fulfillment of everything I am. But, Shade, that doesn't mean what I'm doing is any different than you. It's just that my call is a little more on the nose. In a way, I envy you." His absentminded stare jumped to focus on me. "You get to find out what you'll do. You know that I don't have any plans for after I kill the big bad? I know I might not survive. I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm not saying I plan on dying. I've got plenty to live for. You, Zelda, Sheik and Hunter, and all our friends." I gazed at my twin, his face and heart so much like my own. "You get to choose your future. Because whether I like it or not, I'm locked into this. I have to fight Ruin. But you can do anything. Become a chef, marry Midna, become a comedian, get famous, wander the world, or any hundred other things. You-" I cut myself off before starting again. "Don't be jealous of me. I know what my life is now, but that might not always be the case. I'm living a fantastical life right now, ridiculous and magical and wonderful. But there's nothing stopping you from doing the same." He stared at me for another minute before standing up and walking out of the kitchen.

"Better get going, you're going to be late. Say hey to Zelda for me, I'll catch you later." I watched him leave, not sure if I made things better or worse. Obviously, I hoped it was the first, but only time would tell. Time… I quickly realized I was out of time. I ran out the front door, activating the Master Cycle and jumping onto it as soon as it materialized. I drove to Zelda's house, doing my best to not make too much noise with my bike. I wasn't surprised to see Zelda sitting on the front steps of her house, waiting for me.

"Morning," she said cheerfully, climbing onto the motorcycle behind me and pressing a quick kiss to my cheek.

"Good morning. Shade says hi," I replied, driving the Master Cycle towards the highway that would be the fastest way to the castle.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. I shouldn't have been surprised, she had become well attuned to my mood over the past few weeks and months.

"No, well, not really," I stuttered out, not really sure how to explain everything I thought my brother was thinking. "It's just something with Shade. It'll be fine." I heard Zelda hum slightly behind me. I felt her move slightly a few times, but I couldn't turn to see what she was doing. A minute later, she spoke again.

"Well, now he'll have Midna to keep him company. Maybe she can help him figure it out. And if not…" She laughed. "I'm sure she can find some way to distract him." I couldn't help but groan at the tone in her voice.

"Not you too. It's been bad enough having to deal with Shade alluding to who knows way. I don't even know if the two of them have done anything."

"I wonder," my girlfriend said, in a way that said she knew more than she let on.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sorry, girl's promise. I can't say anything."

"Tease."

Zelda laughed again. "Careful what you say. Or you'll see just how much I can tease you. Or did you forget you can't reach me like this?" I rolled my eyes even thought I knew she couldn't see me.

"I think you're the one who needs to be careful. We're not going to be on this bike forever; I'll get my revenge." Zelda giggled, leaning her head on my shoulder as we roared along the highway towards Hyrule Castle.

* * *

We made exceptionally good time, arriving at the Castle less than an hour after we left. To my delight, the same guard that we had met the first time we were there was manning the same booth. He had the distinguished pleasure of letting us onto the palace grounds, and I had the pleasure of watching him look at us with confusion the entire time. Probably wondering what the hell we were doing back at the castle.

Zelda and I were immediately escorted to a small lounge like the one we had been in previously, only without the fixation on the color blue. Within a few minutes, Princess Felia joined us, along with two guards.

"Please, leave us. I trust these two with my life and we have private matters to discuss," she said to the guards, giving them no choice to but grudgingly leave the room and close the doors. Once the doors were closed, the princess sighed and collapsed onto one of the couches. She laid there a moment before Zelda said something.

"Felia, are you alright?" Felia just half-heartedly waved her hand.

"I'm fine, just tired. Like I said, we had a little…incident here last night. I haven't exactly slept." I was personally horrified. To be forced to go without sleep was a fate I'd wish on no one.

"Did everything turn out okay? Was anyone hurt?" I asked, wary of the reason for the attack. The princess was quick to reassure me.

"Everything's fine. It was just a bunch of cursed monsters, likely the same thing that attacked you two, from what you said Zelda. The Sheikah managed to deal with them easily. Particularly your cousin Sheik, Link. Guardian Forester has done a remarkable job training him." Felia stopped talking for a moment before heaving herself upright again. "That's not why I asked you to come here though. I believe that the monster attack was a distraction for something else. A few guards and a Sheikah reported that they saw someone in the library's Archives, which is barred from all, with a few exceptions, and holds a number of ancient and secret texts. What more, the guards believe that the infiltrator was Ganondorf Dragmire."

"I thought he disappeared," I interrupted, and Felia nodded.

"He was indeed missing, and his sudden reappearance is worrying. He seemed to make every attempt to remain unknown inside the castle and made no effort to assure anyone of his safety. We believe this indicates he is working with our enemy, though we haven't been able to deduce what he was looking for in the Archives."

"Would it be possible for us to look at the contents of the Archive?" Zelda asked. "Ganondorf was probably looking for information that could only be found there, so if we can figure out what it is, we may be able to discover his intentions." The princess nodded thoughtfully.

"A good idea. And as a member of the Royal Family, I am permitted to access the Archives along with any I deem worthy." She shot us an amused grin. "I'd certainly say you two are worthy." We all laughed. I would certainly hope a reincarnated goddess and hero would be allowed the same rights as the Royal Family of Hyrule.

We all quickly made our way to the castle library, through a heavily locked and magically sealed door, and down an extensive flight of stairs that spilled out into a rather small room. A few bookshelves were positioned around the small chamber, some with more books than others. A portion of the room had a few tables and chairs placed around to give anyone reading the books a place to sit.

"I hope it goes without saying, but absolutely none of the information in this room is permitted outside of it," Felia said as we started poking around the shelves. "That means no notes, no pictures, and not breathing a word of anything down here to any of us not present." Zelda and I agreed, and our search began in earnest.

In truth, the Archives didn't hold a very diverse collection. Many of the books were about certain forms of magic that, from the sounds of them, had good reason to be hidden away. Dark, necromantic practices, the harnessing of souls, and flesh manipulation were the three I found before deciding that I'd maybe look somewhere else first. On the plus side, my appetite disappeared, assuaging the hunger I had been feeling.

At some point in our search, Zelda called me over to look at the medium sized book she was looking though, laughing slightly. "What's up?" I asked, curious as to what had her so amused.

"Turns out royal scandals weren't as uncommon as we thought," she said, pointing at a passage in the book. I looked it over twice before I understood what I was looking at. It was a record of all the women a previous monarch of Hyrule had slept with, along with dates that I had to assume had something to do with when he had slept with them. Zelda flipped to a different page in the book and pointed to a small section in particular. I looked closer and saw it was a record of a prince of Hyrule's marriage to a woman named Elaine, along with the note that she had borne a child before her unfortunate death a few years later.

"What's so important about this section?" I asked my girlfriend, who was still laughing quietly.

"You remember how I said my grandmother said one of my great-great-great-something grandparents was married to a prince?" I nodded, still not sure what she meant. "Her name was Elaine." My eyes went wide, and I couldn't help the laugh that spilled out of me as I looked back at the page. Another look showed that the prince's name had been Tiberius the Fifth.

"Well," I said, still laughing. "I guess we know when the Royal bloodline split now."

Another hour into our search and we hadn't found anything in any of the smaller sections that seemed likely to be what Ganondorf had been looking for. Unless he wanted record of a tiny, inch-tall race that had once lived under Hyrule's nose or transcripts of Hyrule's dealings with other worlds and dimensions. However, we had one section left to search, one of the larger ones in the collection.

I was the first one to start picking through the books, many of which were much, much older than the others we had been searching through. Almost immediately, I figured out what the topic of the section was.

The Triforce.

"Holy shit," I mumbled as I scanned through the various books, scrolls, and papers. All of them referenced the Triforce and its many appearances through the history of Hyrule. It was the inciting incident in wars, not only within Hyrule, but with foreign lands and other worlds too. But most of all, they confirmed that it wasn't just the symbol of Hyrule, of the three virtues of power, wisdom, and courage, and of the Golden Goddesses. It was real. The ultimate power upon the earth, the magic of the gods in our midst.

Of course, I had already known that, but it was one thing to hear about the sacred relic's power and another to read actual accounts of it. Some of the feats accomplished with even one piece of the Triforce were incredible to say the least. Out of curiosity, I tried to find the earliest account of the relic's use. The closest I got was a copy of a copy of a copy of a tattered and faded journal that was so old the writing was barely legible. But if what it said was true, then it was an account of the destruction of the Demon King Demise at the hand of the first Hero. The segment had likely been passed down through millennia. And though I didn't have any proof, as I looked at the words recorded on the page, I had the sneaking suspicion that this wasn't the first time I had found this record.

Putting the page aside, I kept looking through the section, looking for anything that Ganondorf might have been looking for. After flipping through a few books detailing previous wars for the Triforce, I found a small journal that looked somewhat newer than most of the other books. Paging through it, I found the contents rather sparse, just a few passages talking about travels around Hyrule back before it had been largely modernized. From what I could tell, whoever had written it hinted at a few hiding places of some sort scattered around Hyrule. Whoever had written it had been ridiculously vague, not even mentioning where they were in Hyrule, merely saying that they had either found a suitable spot or decided against another. A few later parts alluded to construction of some sort. One of the last mentioned the binding of 'old power' to 'strongholds.' The passages ended there, seemingly ending the story. I turned the last page of the journal and saw there was one last thing written in the book, etched into the leather backing of the book.

"Guys, I think I found something," I called out, bringing the journal over to one of the tables as Zelda and Felia crowded around me. "I found this in a whole section on the Triforce. Listen to this.

"'Those who seek the Divine Gift;

Three trials lie between you and it.

Mountains mark their long repose;

One hot, one cold, the last below.

Courage takes the greatest risk;

Resting among the molten cliffs.

Long dead bones point away;

Behind the flow, your challenge lay.

Power, dangerous, stares into the pit;

Looking out, on cliffs it sits.

Heat below and cold behind;

Dark doorway, in the ruins find.

Wisdom, subtle, unsuspecting;

In between the high peaks, resting.

Mountains stand, eternal sentries;

By still water and shelter: entry.

Warning figures from Hyrule's past;

Watching, guarding, testing last.

Foolish users seek to guide;

Final lesson, their fate denied.

Beasts and trials, no caution spared;

Ensuring seekers approach prepared.

For Power, Wisdom, Courage united;

The Triune Force, once more ignited.'"

We all stood still, taking in the cryptic words of the poem. "What do you think it means?" Felia asked quietly, looking over the words once again.

"If I had to guess," I said hesitantly. "I'd say it's giving directions to three places in Hyrule. 'Three trials,' like it says. I think we found what Ganondorf was looking for." The two girls looked at me, and I could see that they were thinking the same thing I was. "We just found the map to the Triforce."

* * *

 _Ooo, how do you like that? Kind of ominous, eh?_

 _Hello, greetings, and salutations, comrades! It is I, Aro, triumphantly returning from whatever hole of non-motivation I fell into for the last month or so. Really sorry about that, but I just didn't want to write. That combined with school and work left me with a really great excuse not to write! Funny how that works, huh? Anyways, here's your chapter, I know it's a little short, but that riddle/poem thing took a lot of time. If you've ever tried writing poetry, you know how it goes. Plus I had to fire up good ol' BotW to actually figure out where these places were going to be. Which took a while, because you can't just plop a dungeon down anywhere, now can you? And then describing it in a cryptic but discernible way, rather tricky. Anyways, got it done and I like it. Feel free to try to figure out where I'm putting the dungeons, I'm curious to see if anyone can figure it out. And for those who don't know (probably all of you, come to think of it), this Hyrule is basically a modernized version of Breath of the Wild. So there you go, good luck looking._

 _Let's see, what else happens here? The return of Felia, Shade has a few problems (somewhat reflective of my own slight envy of people who seem to have their lives together, because I sure don't. I know they're probably the same way, but damn if we're not all great at faking it.), and the poor castle guard shows up again. Poor guy, probably has no idea why he's letting two random teenagers in to have a casual chat with the Princess. Oh yeah, and Ganondorf pops back up. What's he up to? Who knows, but we should see soon. -ish._

 _Review time, time for reviews. Twilit Lord, okay, yeah, it's not super discrete. But they're on a timetable. Also, I was going for Cursed Bokoblins, a la Skyward Sword, but close enough. Also, after a brief check (and I do mean brief), I shall assume you are correct that you have acquired all the wind based Zelda items. Not sure what you're going to do with them, but I'll just trust that it's fine and not world-ending. Foopuff, you deserved that rock. How dare you. Glad you liked the chapter and the fluff. I kind of figured that was why, but since I meant to type 'my', not 'me', I was slightly confused. I absolutely love your suggestion for what Midna and Shade are doing, so much that it is as close to canon in this story as what they're doing is going to get. I have a running joke with myself at this point that there's no confirmation that Midna and Shade are banging, so it is entirely possible that they're just playing a massive game of D and D, or something similar. Who knows? Not me. Sand Seal, I apologize. The way the reviews showed up on my end did a goof and so I missed your review. I apologize profusely and seek your forgiveness. Indeed the fluff, indeed the zombies. Again, Cursed Bokoblins. I suppose I could have emphasized their Bokoblin-ness a bit more. Yes, you'll get your dungeons, at least three more, we'll see where we go from there. I find your answers fascinating and thank you for them. I applaud you for your dedication to Skyrim, I have done similar when reading a good book. Oops indeed. Oracle of Hylia, thank you so much, both for your kind words and not plastering chemicals on your teeth. That stuff smells bad enough, I can't imagine what it tastes like. Probably death. And sorry, but that's not going to happen. The point of Shade is that he's basically a nobody in all of this. Everyone around him is special in one way or another, and he's not. The whole thing is part of his arc, if you want to call it that, as we see in this chapter. I don't think he needs magic to be interesting, at least I hope not. Besides, who needs shadow magic when you can cook?_

 _Thank you all as usual for leaving your reviews, I love to read them and hear how you're enjoying the story. And to those lurking around, favoriting and following the story, I appreciate you too, I see every one of you. And hey, maybe drop a review of your own some time. I'd love to hear from you._

 _Also, to the observant of you, you will see that I posted a little oneshot about a week ago, so if you haven't seen that, be sure to check it out. It's not very long, but I think it's interesting and fun. It's called 'What He Fights For'. Please consider giving it a read (and review)._

 _Okay, I think that's about it. For those of you wondering, the reason I love living in Minnesota isn't just for the 22 below temperatures, it's also for the 30 degree windchill. It's a bit cold up here right now. Not that I've gone outside. Screw that. Just a fun fact for you. Anyways, thank you once again for reading, please be patient with the next update (since I have no idea when it'll be out), and always, ALWAYS...keep snacks next to your desk. I've got a whole package of Nutter Butters here waiting to be torn into. Yum yum yum. Cheers all!_

 _~Aro_


	32. Chapter 32

"That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?" Zelda asked after we all took in my statement. I blinked at her in surprise. I had thought she would be the one bouncing off the walls from the realization.

"I'd disagree," Felia said. I shot her a thankful look for jumping to my defense. "The Triforce hasn't been seen in hundreds of years. The last record of its use is over 1,000 years ago in the age of the Great Calamity. And even then, we're not sure if that was really the Triforce. To find even a mention of it is monumental. A map to its resting place is nothing short of miraculous." Even I was surprised at the princess' outburst. I knew figuring out where the Triforce was was a big deal, but I didn't know it had almost been lost to the ages.

"Well, whatever it is, we should try to figure out where the riddle is pointing to," I said, glancing over the shelves for a map but not finding one. "Are there any maps of Hyrule we can look at?" Felia jumped to her feet, almost visibly shaking from the excitement.

"Yes, there's one upstairs in the main library. But we can't take anything out of here, not even a copy of the riddle."

Zelda immediately waved off her concerns. "There's no need for that, I've got it memorized." We all quickly went back up the stairs to the main library and sealed the door to the Archives behind us. Felia deftly lead us through the library to a large, low table. At least, I thought it was a table at first. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a massive topographical map with jutting peaks for the mountains and swooping valleys. There was even a bit of trickling water outlining the main rivers and lakes of Hyrule. I was more than happy to just stare at it for a minute, appreciating how beautiful our land was and how much effort someone had put into recreating it.

"There's a ladder there if you want an overhead view," Felia said, pointing to a raised platform over the whole of the map. "And a book with small sections of the map for examining more closely." A rather large book sat on the edge of the map, labeled with sections of the map for easier perusal. "Where should we start?"

"Well," Zelda started, "the riddle starts off saying that 'mountains mark their long repose,' so we're probably looking for mountains. 'One hot, one cold, the last below' helps to narrow it down a bit."

"So, we're looking for mountains. Hot should be pretty easy, especially with the rest of it," I postulated. "Something about molten cliffs, right?" Zelda nodded.

"Yeah, it says that and 'behind the flow,' so I'm guessing we're looking around Death Mountain. I'm not sure where it points to next though. 'Long dead bones point away.' Could it be a rock formation that looks like bones?" Felia, who had been quiet so far, spoke up.

"No, I think it means actual bones. Give me a second!" She quickly rushed off to a nearby shelf, running her hands along the spines of books before pulling one out and walking back to us. "I read this book ages ago. It talks about three massive skeletons scattered across Hyrule. The authors, Akrah, Onya, and Garshon, had a number of theories as to how they died, but couldn't find conclusive evidence. They did, however, have detailed diagrams of the skeletons and, more importantly, documented their locations. The bones have disappeared since, which is why they aren't on this map, but…here!" She triumphantly pointed to a spot on a map of the northern edge of the Eldin region. "This is where the skeleton was, and its spine pointed straight towards Death Mountain. I bet it we can follow that line, we'll find, what was it, Courage?" Zelda nodded and we set to our task. Within a few minutes, we found a likely area. "The poem said 'behind the flow,' so I'm guessing this 'challenge' is behind a lavafall somewhere in here."

"Good thing Death Mountain has cooled a little," I muttered as we noted down the approximate location. "Otherwise we'd have to be lavaproof to get through there." I was promptly ignored as Zelda recited the next section.

"Okay, next we've got 'Power, dangerous, stares into the pit; Looking out, on cliffs it sits. Heat below and cold behind; Dark doorway, in the ruins find.' Any ideas?"

"Well," I said hesitantly, "we're looking for somewhere that's hot and cold, on cliffs, and has a pit. There can't be that many spots that are like that."

"Plus, it has to either be on a cold mountain or underneath one," Felia muttered, looking over the expansive map in front of us. "Well, best make a list to start."

We looked over the map for a few minutes, throwing out every cold mountain we could find, which turned out to be quite a few. The entire Hebra Mountain region, Mount Lanayru, Mount Hylia, and the Tabantha region was what we got it down to, but from there, nothing seemed to fit.

"It could be in the north west of Hebra…" Zelda said again.

"But there's no heat there. It's all cold," Felia was quick to interject.

"There are hot springs, that could be what it means. 'Heat below,' as in below the surface."

"But 'cold behind'? It's just all cold!"

"Fine, maybe not Hebra. What's your idea then?" Felia glanced over the map for a moment before pointing towards its center.

"There, Mount Hylia. Everyone knows that the Great Plateau sank down into the ground, but there used be snow all over the mountain. That matches with 'heat below, cold behind'."

"Maybe, but where's the pit? I wouldn't really consider all of Hyrule in a pit from that perspective."

"Well…" the girls kept going back and forth, debating between various mountains, but I ignored them and climbed up to the upper viewing platform for a new perspective. Something about what we were trying didn't sit right with me. So I wandered around and tried to find a new spot on the map.

At some point, I ended up at the south-west corner of the table map and noticed something. The map was painted different colors to reflect the environment in the area. Green for the fields of Hyrule, red-ish brown for Eldin and Akkala, a darker green for Faron and the lush forests there, and white for snow. And lo and behold, on the ridges surrounding the Gerudo Desert, the white of snow.

"Hey," I yelled to the arguing women below. "What about the Gerudo Highlands?" The two stopped immediately, thinking hard.

"That would make sense," Zelda said slowly.

"What about the pit though?" Felia asked. Almost immediately, something caught my eye.

"Well, I don't know about you," I said, pointing to a specific spot between the Desert and the Highlands, "but that looks a lot like a pit to me." The girls climbed up to look down at what I was pointing at.

A colossal pit sat where I was pointing. Felia opened the small book on the area she had brought up with her. "There's no name for that hole, it's just kind of there. Apparently there used to be something there, but the book doesn't say what it was. But look at this," she shifted the book so Zelda and I could see as well. "The Gerudo tried to build a lookout here once, but apparently it was never finished. That sure sounds like ruins to me. Everything else fits too. Hot, cold, pit, and cliffs. I bet there's a Triforce piece hiding up there."

"Nice job, Link," Zelda said sweetly, placing a quick kiss on my cheek. I tried not to blush, but I couldn't help but be a little embarrassed that my girlfriend had kissed me in front of the Princess of Hyrule, no matter our own circumstances.

"Just Wisdom to find then," Felia said cheerfully, still full of excitement. "What's the last section?" Zelda recited the passage.

"'Wisdom, subtle, unsuspecting; In between the high peaks, resting. Mountains stand, eternal sentries; By still water and shelter: entry.' Pretty vague, gotta say."

"Maybe, but we've narrowed it down a bit," I said, thinking out loud. "We already have the hot and cold, so I'd guess that this one is in a moderate area. So probably not Hebra, Gerudo, or anything over there. Which pretty much leaves the southeast, since I doubt they'd hide another piece of the all powerful power of the Gods so close to Death Mountain. We're looking for a few mountains close together."

"The Twin Peaks are an easy choice," Felia mused. "Two big mountains standing guard. Though I wouldn't really call the Squabble River 'still'. What about Zora's Domain? That's got a lot of water and mountains around it."

"Maybe, but something doesn't feel right about that," Zelda muttered. "Sure, it's got water, but the domain isn't exactly 'unsuspecting'. Plus, the poem says 'by still water' not 'in still water'."

"Where would you put it then?"

"Well, going off the theme of the Triforce Pieces, Courage and Power are both pretty showy. Big, bombastic, kind of like a volcano or a gaping pit. Wisdom is a lot harder to see sometimes. Like it says 'subtle' and 'unsuspecting'. So, I think we're looking for somewhere out of the way, in the middle of nowhere. And like Link said, the southeast, meaning Necluda, is looking pretty good. What temperate mountains are over there?" The three of us looked through a few books before we got a good list of possible mountains.

"Okay," I said, looking over the list we had made. "The Lanayru Range is out since that's covered in snow, Ebon Mountain is there, but kind of isolated, same with Tuft Mountain, the Nette Plateau is a possibility, since Haran Lake and the Lake of the Horse God are both nearby. And then we have Mount Floria and all the smaller mountains around it, as well as Mount Dunsel." I tossed the paper back down onto the map and looked to the others. "Any ideas?" We all stood around, none of us with a solid answer. "Anyone have one you don't think it is?" Finally, Zelda spoke up.

"I think it's by Mount Floria." I shot her a look, surprised by her decisiveness. She shrugged. "There's a lot of mountains around it, the Rabella Wetlands are there, plus a few ponds, and the whole area is pretty enclosed." I still wasn't convinced, and she could tell. "Geez, fine. Like you said, most of the others are pretty exposed. Not much else going for those. Sure, the Nette Plateau is an option, but that doesn't seem right. The Wetlands are sheltered, have mountains around them, are isolated, and have standing water. Unless you have a better idea?" she challenged me, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Okay, you're right. Let's try that. Anything to be done with this." My stomach had been reminding me for the last half hour that it was now after noon and I had hardly eaten so far. "Felia, do you have, like, anything to eat? Because I could use a few somethings to eat." My stomach punctuated my question with a timely grumble.

"Oh, don't worry guys, I ordered you some food 20 minutes ago," a voice suddenly said from behind me. Apparently hungry me is really touchy about surprises, because before I had a moment to think, I spun and slammed my fist into the person's stomach, physically knocking them backwards.

My cousin, Sheik, groaned loudly from the floor clutching his abdomen as he rolled back and forth. "Fucking ow, dude. Note to self: do not sneak up on Linkoln or face his wrath. Oh gosh, am I bleeding out of my eyes? Because it feels like I'm bleeding out of my eyes." I stared down at him as the girls laughed hysterically.

"No, you're not bleeding out of your eyes. Better question, what are you doing here? And don't call me by my full name." Sheik slowly pulled himself back upright and brushed off the weird jumpsuit I noticed he was wearing before answering.

"Impa told me to keep an eye on the Princess today. Some sort of test. So I'm just hanging out, chilling, when you two show up and run off to some secret basement that literally has one entrance and is guarded by three dudes. So I'm stuck up here, waiting for like, five hours until you all come back up and start looking at maps for another three hours and I got hungry, so I ordered some food for us all. And then I come down to tell my favorite adoptive brother the good news, Sheik has saved the day, and what do I get for it? One hell of a stomach cramp, plus probably another bruise to add to my growing collection. Do you have any idea how hard some of the Sheikah hit here?" Sheik finally shut up when a few servants walked into the library, rolling carts filled with food. "And see, now the food's here. Not bad timing, huh? You can thank me whenever you want." I rolled my eyes and booked it for the food, eager to fill a plate.

"In your dreams, dude." As I pilled my too small plate with not enough food, I saw Zelda pat Sheik on the shoulder before she came and did the same as me. Felia and Sheik did the same and before long we were all sitting on the floor as we ate.

"Okay, Link," Felia said, swallowing the last of her sandwich. "How did you deal with Sheik all your life? Because it's been three days since he was first set to guard me, and I already want to kill him." I nodded morosely.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. By all accounts, he should be dead a few hundred times over, but he's always managed to get out of it. And it's not just me. I've got a twin, which is just another person for him to annoy, so its twice as unbelievable."

"That reminds me," Sheik mumbled through a fist full of chips. "How is my other favorite adoptive brother? He stopped being all sappy with Midna yet?" Zelda laughed quietly before answering.

"No, in fact, they're worse than ever. Though recent events haven't exactly helped that." Before I knew it, we were recounting the whole of the attack on Hyrule High to a rapt audience. Silence echoed through the library once Zelda and I finished.

"Damn, that's pretty cool. Did you have a cool finisher when you killed Mr. Morose?" Zelda jumped in before I could say anything.

"Yeah, he was lecturing him on looking down on people and said his boss didn't stand a chance. Moroth asked him why and said, 'I'm the Reincarnated Hero of Legend, bitch.' And then he stabbed him in the face." Predictably, Sheik immediately burst into laughter, and I felt a scowl fit itself onto my face.

"It sounded better in the moment," I grumbled, looking away from my cousin rolling on the floor. Unfortunately, that left me looking at Felia, who was giggling quietly too. Giving up, I rolled my eyes and put my forehead on my hand.

"Aww, sorry babe," Zelda said from next to me, running her fingers through my hair. "You're right, it did sound better." She kissed the side of my face, but I wouldn't be pacified.

"Admittedly, there's some work to do, but I don't think it was that bad," another new voice said from behind me. I tried to spin around to face them, but from my sitting position, I only managed to unbalance myself and fall into my girlfriend, knocking us both to the floor.

"What is with everyone and sneaking up on me?" I asked, looking up at Impa as I pushed myself away from Zelda. Impa smirked, looking down at the four of us sitting on the floor.

"Sheik, you do understand that part of your training is staying quiet and out of sight, right? Seems I may have to ensure you understand the importance of that aspect." I saw my cousin's face pale slightly out of the corner of my eye and wondered exactly what his training had entailed. "What are you all doing in here anyways?" Felia looked at Zelda and me. We both gave a short nod and we went about explaining what we had discovered.

"By the Goddesses…" Impa muttered, resting a hand on a nearby bookshelf once we finished. In the short few times I had seen Impa, I hadn't seen her this shocked. Not even close. "You discovered this in the archive?" We nodded. "That would indeed explain why Dragmire was poking around, trying to get in. He must have rightly figured that any mention of the Triforce would be inside. You've all done a remarkable job finding the riddle and decoding it."

"What should we do about it though?" Felia asked. "We could dispatch guards and Sheikah to each area to keep an eye on them, make sure no one tries to get them." Impa was quick to refute the idea.

"That would just bring unwanted attention to the areas, especially if Ganondorf is actively seeking the Triforce. No, I think we have only one course of action."

I groaned quietly, well aware of what Impa was thinking. "Why me? Why is it always me? Why can't Ruin just come up and impale himself on the Master Sword? That would make this so much easier." Impa smirked again.

"If only it was that easy. But yes Link, I think you should go to retrieve the Triforce. From what Sheikah tradition has said, the Hero's journey often leads him to the Triforce as a means to destroy evil. I think the very fact that you have discovered its location after we thought it to be lost as a sure indication of this."

I let out a resigned sigh. "Alright fine. I was probably going to do it anyways. Zelda, when do you want to leave?"

"Why do you assume I'm coming with? Climbing a volcano, wandering through the desert, and roaming the countryside trying to find a random cave doesn't sound like the most fun." To be fair, she had a point.

"Okay, okay, point taken. I guess I can go do all the hard work myself." A teasing grin spread across my face. "But if, no actually, it's probably more of a when situation, so, when I inevitably die horribly because I didn't have anyone to watch my back, you can rest easy that even though Hyrule is doomed and being taken over by an evil god, at least you didn't risk breaking a nail." She slapped me on the arm, as usual, and rolled her eyes.

"I'd suggest that you're selling yourself short, but that's all probably true. Fine, I'll go with you. But not until I've slept in a castle bed. We're staying here for the night. I might not have gotten to be a princess my whole life, but I get to be treated like one today."

"Ooo, me too!" Sheik was quick to butt in. "I think I should be treated like royalty too. After all, I've had to look out for Link for the last thirteen years. I think I deserve a reward."

"Quite the contrary, Sheik," Impa said from behind us. "I think you forget you have training to attend to. And I think I need to teach you how to be quiet and unobtrusive until the lesson sinks in."

"That might be a problem," I said, laughing. "Sheik has never been anything than a noisy pain in the ass. I think it's going to take a while for him to break that habit." The smile the appeared on Impa's face was downright sinister.

"Oh, I'm counting on it."

* * *

The rest of the day, Princess Felia ensured Zelda and I felt like royalty. Food like you wouldn't believe, a full tour of the castle, including a trip to the armory and treasury. At some point in the afternoon, Felia had to attend a small meeting with a few council members on various issues and problems around Hyrule, which she let us sit in on. I wasn't all that interested, but I could tell Zelda was.

After another delicious meal, Zelda, Impa, Hunter, who had showed up part way though the afternoon, and I stood around the table map in the library to plan our journey. We decided that it would be best to go to Death Mountain first and find the Triforce of Courage. Best to take advantage of the cooler volcano while we could, and before something unexpected happened. From there, we would head south to Mount Floria and try to find the hiding place of the Triforce of Wisdom. Finally, we would head toward the desert and the Triforce of Power. All in all, Impa and Hunter thought we'd be done in no more than a week, provided everything went according to plan.

I didn't mention that, with our luck, the plan was almost certain to go off the rails immediately.

Finally, we concluded that we were as ready as we could be and decided to go to bed, even though it was only about 8 in the evening. Felia and Impa led us to some rooms on the west side of the castle.

"Zelda, you can take this room, Link, yours is just next door," Felia said, pointing to two doors among many. "Anything else you two need?"

"Actually," Zelda said hesitantly, poking her head into her fancy room. "That's way too much bed for just me. I don't think we really need separate rooms." She glanced at me, as if asking if I had a problem with the suggestion, but I wasn't stupid enough to raise any objections. Felia, however, immediately became a blushing mess.

"Oh, I didn't realize you two…that's fine, you two can do what you want, I'm just…" The princess trailed off, mumbling who knew what to herself. Zelda looked at her quizzically, as if not understanding why she was so flustered.

"She think's we're sleeping together," I whispered in Zelda's ear, to which she gave me the same quizzical look.

"But we are. It's not like this is the first time either," she said, still confused. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Felia's blush intensify. Honestly, Zelda was adorably innocent, and I couldn't help but laugh a little.

"Zel, she thinks were having sex." Zelda blinked twice before I saw understanding bloom on her face and she quickly turned as red as her distant cousin.

"Ah! Felia, no, that's not what I meant. I didn't realize…no, not at all! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine, I shouldn't have assumed…" The two proceeded to break down into a loop of apologies and clarifications. Impa and I just stood by. I glanced over at Impa and saw she was just as amused by the situation as I was, though she hid it as best she could behind her stoicism.

I let Zelda bumble her way through her attempted explanation for a minute before putting one of my hands on her shoulder and the other over her mouth to make her stop talking. "Sorry about the confusion, Felia. One room is just fine. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night," I said, keeping it as brief as I could. With one last glance at a still amused Impa, I gently pulled Zelda back into the room and shut the door.

As soon as the door was shut, Zelda pulled herself away from me and threw herself on the admittedly massive bed, face down in the abundant bedding. I could tell she was embarrassed, since she had done the same thing when I confronted her in her room. Had that really only been last week?

"I really need you to stop staring at my ass," she mumbled through the blankets. Apparently, the similarity of the situation wasn't lost on her either.

"Yeah, well I need you to stop assuming the worst of me," I shot back, tossing myself onto the bed next to my girlfriend. I could practically feel every single one of my muscles relax as they hit the unbelievably soft mattress. I sighed as the sensation rolled over my body. "We might need to reconsider sharing the bed, because I feel like I'm in the fucking Sacred Realm right now. I'm not sure I want to share this." I knew my voice was as muffled as Zelda's had been, but I didn't care.

"You sure about that?" she asked, and I heard her shifting on the bed. A moment later, a different kind of softness pressed against my side. "I suppose I can go to another room and leave you alone…"

"You know, I changed my mind again. You can stay, that's fine. Wouldn't want you to go to the trouble of explaining to Felia again." Zelda groaned, her embarrassment apparently coming back full force.

"It wasn't that bad, was it? She wasn't that obvious, right?" I laughed a little, trying not to give away how funny I had found the whole thing.

"Let's just say it was adorable and not as bad as you think it was."

"So it wasn't horribly obvious that the Princess of Hyrule thought we were sleeping together and I just didn't pick up on it?"

"I didn't say that…" I trailed off and Zelda mumbled something that I'm sure was less than flattering. "I thought we didn't care what other people thought? What happened to that?" Zelda sat upright on the bed, making me do the same.

"Yeah," she said hesitantly. "But it's the Princess of Hyrule. And she's our friend. I don't want her to think less of us because of some misunderstanding."

"You know, I think a goddess and her eternal hero have the right to do what they want behind closed doors," I said, kissing her gently on the cheek. She scoffed but didn't bring the point up again.

In the ensuing silence, I had the chance to actually look around the room. It wasn't overly fancy, no gold and jewels or anything like that, but there were definitely signs of wealth, from all the colors of the room matching in some way to the plush carpet to the obvious quality of the curtains and bedding. An adjoining room seemed to be a private bathroom.

Zelda finally broke the silence, standing up from the bed. "I'm going to take a shower, I want to see just how fancy they managed to make the bathroom." She was at the door before I had a brilliantly stupid question came out of my mouth.

"Think it's big enough for two people?" Zelda froze, hand on the doorknob. She glanced back at me, and for a moment I thought I saw desire in her eyes, before it was replaced with a wry grin.

"Probably, but I guess you'll have to wait your turn to find out." The door closed and I couldn't tell whether I was disappointed or relieved. Though the moment was undercut a bit when Zelda came out a few seconds later and grabbed the multi-dimensional pouch she had decided was hers before retreating back into the bathroom.

About half an hour later, Zelda came out of the bathroom in a manner that couldn't help but capture my attention. She was wearing a loose pair of shorts that showed off almost every inch of her long legs and a blue cut-off shirt that was both too big and too small. The bottom only came down to just above her belly button, but the neckline was way too big, letting one of the edges slip off her shoulder and exposing a stretch of skin that was begging to be kissed. My eyes eventually made their way up to her eyes, which held a mixture of annoyance and satisfaction.

"Bathroom's free, Link," she said, looking at me expectantly. I gave her one last look before walking into the bathroom.

"Just you wait, Zel," I said as I closed the door. "I'll get my revenge." Before she could say anything, I locked the door behind me.

The bathroom was pretty fancy, though not as extravagant as I had expected. It made sense though. You didn't really put a jacuzzi in your guest bedroom, no matter how rich you were. Still, the shower was nice and large, with plenty of room for two people, just for the record.

After my shower, I started plotting my revenge against Zelda. Not that it really required any planning. I just mostly dried my hair and let it hang loose. It was long enough that I'd be able to tie it back now if I wanted to. Maybe it would even make it behave.

Other than that, I really just put on a loose pair of pants and left it at that. If past experience was anything to go by, Zelda would appreciate my going shirtless plenty. I walked out of the bathroom, almost stopping when I saw Zelda sprawled out across the bed, legs stretched out and oddly fitting shirt even more askew as she messed around with her phone. I forced myself to keep walking and not stare at her, otherwise my little revenge would be spoiled.

On the plus side, Zelda was definitely paying attention to me. I could barely see her out of the corner of my eye, pretending to focus on her phone while she snuck looks at me every other second. As casually as I could, I bent down to make sure all my gear was in its proper place before standing and making a show of stretching my arms above my head. I thought I might have seen Zelda lick her lips slightly but could have been mistaken. Regardless, she stood up from the bed and padded over to me. Right as she got within arm's reach, I deftly spun away making a show of examining the room and all its finery that I couldn't have cared less about. Zelda tried again, but I jumped away again, stretching my back as I did. I had to try to keep a smile off my face as I watched Zelda's expression sour.

"Alright fine, you're sexy, you've made your point," she said petulantly, no longer subtle as she walked directly toward me. "Now get over here." She lunged for me again, but I was faster and ducked under her arms, laughing all the time.

"Learned your lesson then?" I asked, enjoying riling her up. I dodged around her again and again, never letting her get close enough to grab me. "Doesn't seem right for you to taunt me now, does it? Maybe you should apologize." Zelda actually growled at me as I spun around her and grabbed both her wrists, forcing her to stand still. She struggled in my grip, but I didn't let up. She could only look over her shoulder at me as I made a show of flexing any muscle I could come up with. She quickly gave up, rolling her eyes resignedly.

"Okay, you win. I'm sorry I teased you. Though it's hardly my fault you find me attractive."

"That doesn't sound very sincere," I said lowly, getting as close to her ear as I could without touching her. I could see her spine shiver and her eyes lit up again as her eyelids slid part way closed.

"I'm very sorry I teased you, Link. Now kiss me." Figuring that was as good as I was going to get and unwilling to push it any more, I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back to my chest, kissing her as fiercely as I could. Her own arms clutched at my back as she turned around and held herself as close to me as she could. With a quick twist, I let us both fall back onto the bed, Zelda landing on top of me and running her hands over my chest. My own hands left her waist and traveled up her back, slipping under her lose shirt to crawl up her spine. She kissed me more as my fingers traced the individual bones and danced across her shoulders.

Zelda groaned low in her throat, making an almost purring noise as she moved from kissing my lips to my cheeks, neck, and chest. She continued to stroke each of the muscles of my chest and abdomen and seemed to particularly enjoy when I tensed them letting her feel their outline more distinctly. At the same time, I leaned up and gently bit at her neck and my hands went from her back to her own exposed, toned stomach. She sighed again and I cautiously let my hands slip up her sides until they barely touched the sides of her breasts. I felt Zelda shift uncomfortably above me at my movement and let my hands slip back down to her waist and hips. I felt her relax again and move back up to kiss my lips.

We laid there for a while, sometimes gentle, sometimes forceful as we enjoyed each other's presence. It wasn't until much later that we curled up in each other's arms and fell asleep.

* * *

 _Hello hello hello! Welcome back to your randomly scheduled entertainment. This time, the Triforce riddle gets decrypted, Sheik is still a bit of an ass, and Link and Zelda are still the damn cutest couple you've ever seen! Basically, very little has changed._

 _In recent news, we're getting another Zelda game! Sure, it's a remake, but who gives a shit. I've never played Link's Awakening because I never bothered to, but now I have the perfect excuse. Now if we could just get every other Zelda game ever ported over/remade for the Switch, I can implode in a constant stream of Zelda for the foreseeable eternity. My thought at towards the end of the Direct was literally, "Ah, too bad, they wouldn't announce a new Zelda during a Direct anyways." And then four seconds later I was proven so so so so so wrong! And I couldn't be happier! So, now to decide, do I play through those classic Gameboy games, specifically Link's Awakening, in preparation or do I wait? Oh, never mind, waiting was never an option._

 _Excitement aside, let's see what you guys had to say last time. Twilit Lord, yes, no, and no, though I hadn't thought of Mount Hylia as an option. Partly because I forgot it existed, but also because it's too centrally located. I guess I could have done Zora's Domain, but...nah. Sand Seal, thank you for appreciating the horrible lengths I went to for that poem (it wasn't that bad). Fun fact, Courage was supposed to be somewhere else because I didn't want to use the Leviathan Bones, because that would be too easy, but you mentioned it, so I retconed it a bit and said the bones disappeared. Where'd they go? Who knows?! *spooky ghost noises* Nope to Wisdom, and that's an interesting idea for Power, but no, sorry. They will be fighting something, but I'll not say what. Got to leave something to whet your appetites. Nightwing, I have absolutely no idea what you're going on about, but I'm sure if I understood the references you're making, I'd be very appreciative of them. So kudos to you. Raviofan, past Links you say? Interesting theory... Foopuff, no, you're late, just own up to it. It's okay, I forgive you. Or, I would have, but then you said you never played Breath of the Wild. You're walking on thin ice there. I don't want to hear your excuses. I want results._

 _On to slightly less important things. For those of you who want to see Zelda as I'm describing her at the end of the chapter here, look up 'Casual Zelda' by toffeecup on deviantart. It's a really good piece that I absolutely love. And for more fantastic Zelda art, check out enorinamo or their website. Really fantastic art, really good. Makes me jealous that I can't draw like that, because I love great fanart. So how about a little shameless begging? If any of you are artists or know some good Zelda artists, tell me what they are so I can check them out. Especially if its yours. And hey, if any of you were artists and wanted to make a bit of art for this story and then send it to me, I sure wouldn't complain._

 _In any case, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to what's coming next. Up next will be the Courage dungeon, at least part of it. I guess I'm going to have to come up with something for that, aren't I? Hmmm... Maybe...lava? Hard to say, guess we'll find out. And then another little Zelink scene. Remember when they were in the hotel pool before they were together? Well, as far as I can remember, Death Mountain has a few geothermal vents that lead to some water. And really, who wouldn't want to indulge in that? Going to be fun._

 _Anyways guys, thank you as always for reading and don't forget to follow and review. Every single one of you brings me such joy! With every review, a festival is thrown in your honor. Dancing in the streets, cake like you wouldn't believe, and happiness that the realms have never seen! So review and give me life! It's for the children! And don't forget to get hyped for The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening! Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


	33. Chapter 33

"Din, why is it so hot?" I muttered as Zelda and I walked along the slopes of Death Mountain.

"Link, it's not her fault the volcano is full of lava. Besides, I thought you were excited to see the mountain. You hardly shut up about it all the way here," she said with a snort.

"Yeah, that was before I knew it was going to be so Din-damned hot. And I think who's fault it is is beside the point. I'm looking for an effective way to express feeling about my imminent melting and I think Din would appreciate my complaints. Besides, are you telling me you're not hot?" Zelda jumped over a small ridge in the rock before answering.

"I'm not saying it's not hot. I'm not saying I'm not hot. I'm merely pointing out your abrupt turn in attitude."

I couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, don't worry, you're definitely hot." Zelda's cheeks, already red from the head, turned a shade darker. "Besides, I knew it would be warmer, but I thought with the caldera cooling and all that, maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

"It's still liquid rock, idiot. A couple dozen degrees isn't going to make a difference."

"I would argue that point. It used to be so hot up here that stuff would just burst into flame. Note our decidedly not on fire-ness. I'll take what I can get." We clambered over a large boulder and looked out at the rocky, glowing mountain around us. "How much further is it?" I asked, already tired of the climbing. Zelda pulled out a small map and looked around before pointing at a spot on the map.

"Best I can tell, we're here. So we're almost there. Then we just have to find the right lava flow and a way behind it."

"Wonderful." We had been climbing on the mountain for what felt like ages but was probably only an hour or two. We had made good time from the Castle that morning, leaving early and getting to the base of Hyrule's volcano early enough to ride the first tram up the mountain. For being an active volcano, the mountain was an oddly frequent tourist spot, even with the constant mining of the mountain. The Gorons who lived on the mountain didn't resent the extra traffic; they actually seemed to enjoy the crowds. While Goron City was too hot for Hylians to stay in for any long period of time, day trips were common and some Gerudo women even lived there, being more accustomed to the heat. Everything combined to make the volcanic city a small hub of activity on the mountain.

Normally, anything off the thoroughly beaten path was strictly off limits, but with another handy letter from Princess Felia, we had gotten straight past the ample Goron security and made our way across the craggy cliffs to the place we thought the Triforce of Courage was hidden.

Another twenty minutes of climbing over the hot rocks and jumping over small lava flows led us to a large bridge stretching over a particularly large lava flow cascading down from higher on the mountain. We both stood and watched the incredible sight for a moment.

"Okay," I said after a minute. "How the hell are we going to get behind that?"

We spent the next five minutes poking around the molten rock before we took a break. The heat of the mountain was only amplified by our climbing up and down the rocks and our proximity to the liquid slag moving across the mountain. Panting with exhaustion, we rested our backs against a rock a little way away from the lava.

"Well," I said with a sigh, shaking a loose rock out of my boot. "I think it's safe to say that there's no way around. So unless you fancy a little lava bath, we're very slightly screwed."

"I think I'll pass," Zelda muttered, staring off into the sky. "I like my flesh right where it is. How in Nayru's name are we going to get through that?" I grinned.

"You know, it's not Nayru's fault we can't get through. In fact, it's unfair to pin the blame on her. She's a goddess, she probably doesn't have time to come down and tell us how to solve a problem. She probably assumes we'll find it since it's right in front of us."

"Yeah, yeah," Zelda grumbled. I could practically hear her eyes rolling. "I'll eat my words, now shut up. I've got apparently obvious solutions to come up with." I let her be before suddenly realizing something and burst into laughter. My girlfriend looked at me like I had lost it, though at this point she really shouldn't have been surprised.

"Well, you're right about one thing," I remarked, standing up and pulling Zelda to her feet as well. "The answer really is right in front of us." I pulled Zelda's Scepter out of one of my pockets and handed it to her. "Split the lava."

She looked at the staff in my hands in confusion for a second before laughing herself. "Of course! I can't believe I forgot I can use fucking magic." She grabbed the Scepter out of my hands and walked purposefully towards the lava flow. "I'm a goddess and I forgot I've got magic," she mumbled one more time before she started glowing.

Zelda walked straight up to the edge of the liquid rock and stepped onto it. If it had been anyone else, I would have thought they were insane. But with Zelda, I wasn't the least bit worried. The lava beneath her feet froze almost instantly where she walked, making a safe path appear out of thin air. She thrust her arms out at the slowly falling magma. I noticed the anomaly in the flow immediately. It looked like the lava was flowing around a rock, only the rock was invisible and getting bigger. The gap in the glowing liquid got bigger and bigger until it was wide enough for three people to step through side by side. Through the opened space, I could see a dark tunnel that appeared to be lit further back judging from the faint glow barely visible. Zelda stepped through the parted curtains of fiery rock and I quickly followed, not waiting for the path she had made to melt back into the viscous flow. Once we were both safe on the other side, Zelda dropped her hands and the glow surrounding her faded. Almost immediately, the lavafall resumed its natural course, closing us off from the outside.

"That was pretty damn cool." I couldn't hide how impressed I was and didn't try. Zelda was breathing slightly more heavily than she had been earlier, which made the rise and fall of her chest more noticeable as she stared up at me. Lit by the lava from the side, she was a vision bathed in glowing oranges and reds. I leaned down at the same time she reached for me and our lips locked together. She tasted like sweat and heat and, above all else, like Zelda. I allowed myself to luxuriate in the taste of her lips and her embrace for a moment before forcing myself to pull back.

"Got to get moving," I said, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "I've got a Triforce to find." Zelda didn't say anything, but nodded in agreement, grabbing my hand as we descended the steps to the first Triforce dungeon.

* * *

The first thing I noticed when we reached the bottom of the stairs was that the walls, floor, and ceiling were much smoother than I had expected. I had been expecting a roughly hewn cave, but instead, the corridor we found ourselves in was as smooth as the walls of the castle. Someone had clearly put a lot of effort into making this place.

Upon reaching the bottom of the stairs, we were immediately met by a solid door like those we had seen in the Fountain Trials. With a quick lift, we found ourselves in a large circular chamber with fine ornamentation all over the walls and floor. Most notable was the massive Triforce carved into the center of the room.

"Well," I said casually, "I guess we're in the right place." A large upright tablet stood in the middle of the Triforce carving with something written on it. A few steps closer revealed exactly what it said. "'Seeker of Courage, your test awaits. The Triforce sits behind the gates. Patience tested by trials many, and final hurdle, a long held enemy.' Great, more ominous poetry, my favorite. Think it means anything?" Zelda looked the short poem over, reading through it quietly a few times.

"I don't think so. It doesn't seem to really be saying anything, more just saying we're in the right place. The last line is a little worrying, but I don't know what it could mean."

"Not much we can do about it either way," I said, glancing around the room. "Which way do you want to go: left or right?" I asked and pointed to our two options. Three doors in total led out of the room, but one of them, the middle option, was locked shut. Both of the other paths were unblocked.

"I doubt it matters. If the Fountain Trials were any indication, the way we need to go is through the middle. I say left." Our minds made up, we pushed the door open and walked down the small hallway behind it. Almost immediately, the heat shot back up to what it felt like outside. Two small channels of lava flowed across the hallway. They were small enough and spaced enough to make them easy to jump over, but I worried that if lava was seeping through here, it might cause problems further into the dungeon.

The next room was thankfully lava free, but that was about all it had going for it. The area by the door was solid ground, but to the right the ground dropped away sharply, leaving nothing but a few platforms rising out of the abyss or hanging from the ceiling. A large wall kept the available path clearly limited and blocked any further challenges. I could tell that the path curved around a sharp turn further down the corridor but couldn't see what was around the corner.

To the left was a small bowl on a pedestal with a glowing blue ball inside. I looked at it quizzically. "What do you think this is for?" I asked aloud. I looked up to see what Zelda thought, but she was busy looking at the wall.

"I bet it goes in there," she said, pointing to something out of sight. I walked over to her and saw what she meant. On the other side of what looked like a small tunnel was a matching bowl painted blue. "If I had to guess, we have to navigate the whole jungle gym of death to get over there." I gave her a quick peck on the crown of her head.

"See, this is why I have to bring you. I would have gone all the way over there before figuring that out and had to come back, only to do it again." She rolled here eyes and tossed me the small ball.

"Thanks, but that's not going to get you out of doing the hard part. Just don't drop it. Or fall." She peered down into the dark of the pit and shuddered. After a quick glance in the same direction, I agreed that falling was a bad idea. That wasn't going to stop me though.

"Hey, no problem. Just have to jump from platform to platform, right? How hard can it be?" Before I had a chance to recognize how wrong that statement had the potential to be, I jumped to the first platform.

The first section that we could see from the door wasn't too bad. The jumps were manageable and nothing fell apart as soon as I touched it, which was pretty lucky given how long the whole thing had probably been lying there. The next section was where the real fun began though.

Small flame jets shot out of the walls, some positioned over the platforms I had to jump to, some positioned between the gaps. To make matters worse, the path I had to follow wasn't just platforms now, but also sections of thin beams that I'd have to jump to, balance on, and jump from. Not to mention the persistent flame gouts.

From there, I did as little thinking as possible. I'd check the timing on the flame bursts just long enough to make sure I wasn't going to get my face barbequed and make my next jump. Before I knew it, I could see the goal. Of course, it was across a pit that only had a few narrow walkways spanning it, broken so I'd have to jump between them if I wanted to make it across. With more bursts of fire for good measure, of course. Three deep breaths later, I was running along the beams as quickly as I could, jumping between sections of walkway like a parkour expert. Which maybe I was, given that I not only managed to make it across, but was able to do it without any massive mistakes.

With a sigh of relief, I dropped the small orb that had been clenched tightly in my hand into the similarly painted bowl. The two glowed and a section of wall to my right lowered itself into the floor, opening up a shortcut to the beginning of the terrifying course. Zelda peeked around the corner, eyes meeting mine with a look of relief.

"Glad to see you're not dead," she said, looking me over for any trace of injury. Fortunately, the whole thing had gone without a hitch.

"Don't worry," I said. "You would have heard me scream if I had fallen." Her face seemed to pale slightly, but she brushed it off. Instead, her eyes alighted on the wooden chest that had been nestled in the shortcut back. We popped it open to reveal an old key that looked like it would fit the lock on the center doorway back in the main room. We hopped the lava streams again and quickly found our suspicions to be correct. Of course, since things couldn't be that easy, the other side of the door was just a short corridor with another locked door at the opposite end. "Guess whoever made this place wanted to make sure we experienced all of their efforts," I mumbled as we walked back through the door and made our way through the door to the left.

Another short hallway, this one lava free, led us to a large room that immediately buffeted us with wind. It was strong enough to nearly knock me over, and probably would have if I hadn't grabbed the doorframe to steady myself. A quick look around the room revealed that it might be the worse of the two options.

A rough X was cut into the floor, revealing glowing lava beneath the floor and a nasty end to anyone who fell in. Wind buffeted us from all directions, making it hard to keep a steady footing. Above us, flaming keese swooped from draft to draft, soaring around the room with ease. At least, they were until they noticed us. Then it was "divebomb at the tasty Hylians" time.

For the next few minutes, all I could do was react. Jump over the lava crack, duck under swooping fire bats, lean against blustering winds, try to swing at a bat, fail, and repeat with a few variations. To be honest, Zelda did most of the work, and that was mostly just by standing still and turning any monsters that flew her way to ash. Still, I managed to get the final hit on the last of the Keese, sending it spiraling into the wall where it burst into ash. Once it was dead, the winds abated from 'hurricane' to 'blustery day,' making the room at least a little more manageable to navigate. Another wooden chest appeared in the middle of the room, revealing yet another key once we managed to stand still enough to open it.

The second lock opened, allowing us into another section of the dungeon. We spilled out into another room shaped like a large hexagon with two doors side by side on the opposite wall. Squishing around the middle of the room were slimes like we had seen in the Nayru fountain, but on fire this time, probably to spice things up. Just like their non-flaming counterparts, we couldn't really kill them, but luckily both the doors were unlocked and available for a quick escape route. We ducked through the left one before we could get set on fire or eaten.

"Love to see those things again," I mumbled as we navigated the corridor we found ourselves in. "Let's hope we don't have to fight another Slime Behemoth." Zelda nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, we can't really melt them when they're already on fire."

Another branch of the tunnel split off to the left and I could vaguely see another doorway at the end of the short hall. We opted to keep going straight, figuring we'd come back to the side tunnel later. A few dozen feet later, the corridor curved around to the right. Two doors were on either side, one like any other and the second extremely ornate, laden with gold, and definitively locked by the large padlock affixed to its front.

"Well," I said briefly, "I guess we found where the Triforce is." We kept going down the curving corridor, passing another offshoot of the tunnel before we reached a final door. A quick peek through it revealed the room full of flaming slimes we had just left. "Guess it's a big 'U' then. Want to try the door across from the Triforce first?" Zelda agreed, and we made our way back through the curving tunnel.

Naturally, we regretted our decision almost immediately. When we stepped into the dark room, nothing lit up like it normally would, so Zelda made a bright light shine from the end of her scepter. The room was flooded with illumination, and annoyed screeches filled the room. We realized that we had unwittingly stepped into a massive Keese nest, disturbing their rest in probably the most startling way possible. A horde of the winged demons lit themselves on fire before diving straight for us. A hastily erected barrier of stone and water ensured the monsters were extinguished and thinned out the swarm considerably. The few that got through were quickly dealt with with a few deft swiped of the Master Sword.

The dying screeches of the Keese swarm echoed through the room, which, upon closer inspection, was roughly rectangular in shape and still had quite a few Keese lurking around, the most notable being a giant bat dozens of times the size of one of its smaller brethren. It was staring at us with beady eyes the emanated annoyance and hostility. A moment after I made eye contact with it, it gave an echoing screech and dropped from the ceiling. Six wings expanded from its sides and the whole thing lit itself on fire as it started hovering its way over to us.

"I wonder how they do that…" Zelda mused from beside me, staring at the giant beast. "Are their bodies naturally coated in a flammable substance that they light themselves or does their internal body temperature cause them to appear to be on fire?"

"Zelda, darling, you know I love how inquisitive you are, but do you think this is really the time?" I asked, just a little exasperated as I dragged her away from the enormous, flaming monster. She was undeterred.

"It's not flapping its wings enough to stay airborne, do you think it's using its own updrafts to keep itself in the air?"

"Look, you can dissect it and theorize all you want when we're not in danger of being incinerated." As if to reinforce, the bat shot a large fireball over our heads, nearly singeing our hair. I could tell she wasn't happy about it, but Zelda stayed quiet after that.

To my extreme annoyance, the massive keese seemed smarter than its brethren, staying at a distance and rarely swooping down to attack. Its ability to spit fireballs was equally annoying. To make matters worse, none of Zelda's magic was particularly effective either. The monster was too agile to be hit with earth magic, water and ice evaporated almost immediately, and the thing was obviously immune to fire.

Eventually, I got sick of waiting for the creature to do something and decided stupidity was the best course of action. Dropping any pretense of caution, I dropped my guard, charging straight at the monster and jumping as hard as I could, Master Sword outstretched to try and get some sort of hit on it. The infernal bat just flew higher and shot a fireball at me. Fortunately, my hero's garb deflected most of the heat, but it still hurt. I circled back around to Zelda, trying to keep an eye on her and the keese's swooping claws at the same time.

"Okay, admittedly, that didn't work," I said once I got back over to Zelda. "Any ideas?"

"Remember how I said it might be keeping itself in the air by using its own heat?" Zelda asked after a moment of thought.

"Are you still thinking about that as we're about to be barbecued? Priorities, Zelda."

She let out a groan of exasperation. "Whatever, just jump at it again and be ready."

"For what?"

"Trust me and you'll see." With no other options left, I did exactly as she said. Something was different this time though. Right as I jumped at it, the bat jerked in the air and dropped a few feet, as if the air beneath it disappeared. Unfortunately for it, that was all I needed to sink the gleaming blade of the Master Sword into its abdomen and hold on as my weight pulled the sword down, cutting the monster mostly in half. It let out a final high-pitched squeal before collapsing to the ground and crumbling away to ash.

"What was that about not asking questions?" Zelda said from behind me as she walked up to where I was crouched on the ground. "Like I thought, a disruption in the heated air around it was enough to disorient it long enough to deal with it. Giving you the perfect opportunity to deal with it." I slowly turned to face her.

"Yeah, I'll admit it, you were right," I said with a grimace. "I'm not sure you can rub it in my face too much though."

"Oh, why's that?" she asked, teasing tone still in her voice. I pulled my hand away from my chest where four large talons were fixed in my skin, blood seeping from the edges of the wounds. I saw her eyes go wide as my vision tunneled.

"Claws," I mumbled as my vision narrowed further and everything fell to black.

* * *

 _Oh gosh, it has been a while. I'd apologize, but I'm not really that sorry. I've just been busy. College, work, relaxation, reading stuff, anime, the shattered remains of my social life, and probably a few other things all take some form of precedence. I am busy and this has just been something that got pushed back a bit. Especially since there's nothing I'm particularly excited to write about this dungeon. That cliffhanger at the end literally came to me when I decided that Link was crouched over after his jump. Super spontaneous. But it works and now you all get to suffer. Yay!_

 _Anyways, let's get to the reviews. Quite a few this time, so thank you all in advance. Silverblood Writer, thank you so much for your high praise. I try not to slip into too many done-to-death tropes, so it means a lot to me that you think they're varied and different. So glad you like the romance, I'm a massive fan of it myself. Link and Zelda are just too cute. I hope you continue to enjoy it. Twilit Lord, I apologize for giving you ideas, though I think that's really your fault. Haven't been ignoring your story so much as I haven't had time to read it. I'll get to it, fear not, but it hasn't been a burning desire for me. Oracle, as you should be! Looks great. As for the First Hero...I've got something in the works along those lines that I think will satisfy you. You'll have to wait for it though. Sand Seal, I see you're as enthusiastic as always. They're not going to the Yiga hideout, there's another massive pit. Though I wonder what the old hideout looks like now? Might have to do a little something with that. We'll see. And yes, of course fluff. Just for you. Kind of. Daaazer, glad you're enjoying the story. My work ethic comes from renewing my determination and annual sacrifices to the Old Ones. I'm sure if you do one of those two things, you'll find your inspiration again. Princessa Muse, thanks for your good review. WolfyPrincess, the place holder was Cremia's necklace, symbolizing their relationship as it falls apart. And that's okay, Cremia was never going to win, so I didn't put an excessive amount of work into her. I take no offense. And no, this is not a Link from any game. The story takes place roughly 1000 years after BotW, so we're dealing with all new characters here. Which means I get to take all the creative liberties I want! Woot!_

 _Once again, thank you all for your reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. In other news, you all see that 'Cadence of Hyrule' trailer?! I love Crypt of the Necrodancer for so many reasons, including the brilliant pun in the name and the music. Add Zelda to that and we're undoubtedly going to get another winner! Can't wait, hopefully I won't have to for long. Lots of other indies that look good too, 'Katana Zero' in particular._

 _Also, I posted a short little story a little while back when I was hit with a bit of inspiration. 'Haunted Dreams' is on my profile for your reading pleasure. Just be advised, there is a mature rating on it for a reason. I hope you'll check it out if you haven't already. I'll also try to get the next chapter of this story up before too long, but please be patient with me. I've got a lot of things that take precedence over leisure writing. It sucks, but that's the way it is. But thank you to everyone who does read my stories, not just this one but my other bits too. I see the numbers and I know you're there, so thank you. Just that is motivation for me to keep writing. Once more, I shall state this. I won't be abandoning this story. I've got too much of this story planned out to do that. Just have to get from A to B at this point. Anyways, I've got class, so I'll see you all next time. Don't forget to review and follow the story so you know when it gets an update. Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


	34. Chapter 34

"….o, no, no, no, Link! Don't fall asleep! Wake up, damn it." Zelda's piercing voice cut through the darkness of unconsciousness that was folding around me. She slapped my cheek a few times until I focused on her. "Good, look at me. Don't stop looking at me and don't you dare close your eyes." She reached out and gently touched one of the multiple claws embedded in my torso, mumbling quietly. I tried my best to stifle my hiss of pain, but it didn't really work.

"That's…the last time….I go with…one of…your plans," I wheezed out through the pain lancing across my chest, barely able to get the last word out before coughing as gently as I could, flecks of blood dotting my lips.

"Shut up and hold still," Zelda said quietly. "I need to pull these talons out. Which is going to suck, but tough it out. And don't pass out."

"That's a lot of things to remember…" I said weakly before the pain rendered me mute again.

"Just let me work," Zelda mumbled before beginning her careful extraction.

The claws were curved, which meant she couldn't just yank them out. Not without causing all sorts of problems at least. Instead, she had to rotate them out of the wounds. Which, let me tell you, made the whole thing so much worse. Like having to listen to nails on a chalkboard with every nerve in your body.

Fortunately, the constant reminders to myself to not pass out actually made the agonizing seconds speed past. Before I knew it, the last claw was sliding free, the slightly serrated edge pulling one last time at my skin before it came away. I couldn't help but take a deep breath as Zelda threw the claw to the side, but quickly found myself with a new problem.

I couldn't breathe.

Or rather, I could, just not very well. One side of my lungs refused to fill, leaving me to conclude that one of the talons must have pierced it and left it collapsed. Fortunately, it was relatively easy to fix. Zelda slowly knitted it hole back together with her magic, leaving me with the strangest desire to itch my organs to get rid of the odd feeling her healing left. She then helped me with reflating the lung by giving me a little mouth to mouth. Normally, that would have been the best part. However, the sensation of having someone pour air into your lungs is extremely weird, which kind of put a damper on the moment.

One reflated lung and a brief coughing fit later, Zelda was finishing weaving my skin back together. The moment she was done, she tackled me and punched me in the shoulder.

"You absolute idiot," she said angrily, punching me again. "Don't do that to me, I'm too young to have a heart attack." I gave a short, pained laugh before I realized my tunic was dampening with her tears as sobs gently shook her body.

"Zelda, Zelda, it's okay. I'm okay," I said hurriedly, wrapping my arms around her and trying to make her stop crying. "You fixed me, I'm fine."

"You need to stop doing that, Link," she said quietly before looking me in the eye. "I don't know what I'd do without you. You can't keep almost dying."

"Even though it was your idea to throw me at the giant flaming monst-" I was cut off as Zelda clenched fist slammed into my chest.

"I don't fucking care who's idea it was! You are never allowed to die on me! Do you hear me? NEVER!"

"Okay, okay, I get it, I'm sorry Zelda. I'll be more careful," I said quietly, trying to calm her down. "We'll be okay. It'll all be okay, I promise." She burst back into tears, hugging me and burying her face in my chest.

"I just….I can't….without you…." I could only pick out a few words between her sobs, but they were enough to understand her.

"Me too, baby, me too."

* * *

A little while later when Zelda had calmed down and recomposed herself, I actually had time to inspect the room we were in. Up until then I had been busy trying not to die, dying, and comforting my girlfriend. All of which left little time for sightseeing.

The rectangular room was mostly unimpressive, save for a few specific things. First were two slightly raised portions on opposites sides of the room. One held a chest that had appeared when I killed the giant Keese. The other remained empty. On the opposite wall from the door were two recessed cavities, one holding a ball like we had seen in the room that thought it was from Hyrulean Sheikah Warrior, and the other with a matching bowl. Both cavities were blocked off by thick chains held together by padlocks that we'd most certainly need keys for.

Inside the chest, we found something that seemed to be some sort of metallic glider. It was made of the same weird metal as the Sheikah Slate/Master Cycle and folded out with the flick of a wrist. There was also a button on the handle of the thing that launched a gust of air from the front of the glider. Unfortunately, Zelda happened to be standing directly in front of it when I discovered this, knocking her backwards and onto the floor, hair blown in every direction.

Once she was done combing her hair back into place, Zelda and I made our way back out into the hallway. Figuring the keys we needed were in the side rooms we had passed earlier, we walked to the first one we had passed. Hauling the door open, we had to make a quick stop to avoid falling into the abyss that opened up in front of us.

"Well," I said, peering into the void, "that was close." Wind buffeted our faces and wayward embers floated in the air as we considered the extremely fatal drop we had almost taken. "You know, I understand everything here is trying to kill us, but couldn't they at least make what finally does us in intentional. Way too easy to accidentally fall into some infinite abyss." Zelda, to her credit, ignored me.

"Look, the room turns around the corner." I looked up and saw there was indeed a corner to the room, the rest of it hidden from sight. "But how are we supposed to get over there? There's no path, not even the ruins of one." The errant sparks floating in the air caught my eye. It seemed weird that they were floating around like they were. There didn't seem to be any source of them, and nothing burned forever. I watched them for a minute longer before noticing something.

"Oh for the love of…" I groaned, pulling the new glider from my belt. "I almost hope I'm wrong about this. Well, not really, looks like a long fall, but still." I snapped my arms and let the glider extend.

"Link, what are you talking abou-Link!" Zelda cut herself off abruptly as I jumped into the pit in front of us, the glider catching the air enough to slow my decent. A moment later, my suspicions were proven correct as an updraft caught me and propelled me back upwards.

I breathed a quick sigh of relief before angling the glider so I could float along the updraft and into another one, navigating across the room as carefully as you can when you're suspended who knows how far above certain death. In any case, after a tense minute, I managed to safely land on a platform that had been hidden around the corner out of view. A small chest sat there, almost taunting me with its normalcy. As if I didn't just navigate a massive chasm on a flimsy looking glider.

With a short grunt of irritation, I kicked the chest open and pulled out the small, unassuming key. I spun around and prepared to float back across the gap before I noticed two things. First, a small alcove sat off to me left, another chest sitting in the recessed area. Second, at some point while I wasn't paying attention, a swarm of flaming Keese had appeared from somewhere and we're floating around on the updrafts, making the path back that much more treacherous.

All in all, it wasn't that bad. Quick stop at the chest, grabbing another vitality boosting Heart Piece for my trouble, then a quick flight back around the corner to where Zelda was waiting. I managed to avoid most of the Keese by hugging the wall and blasting one of them out of my way with the air jet on the front. It careened into the wall and exploded into Ash. I was just feeling pleased that I had managed to deal with the whole challenge by myself when a spiral of rock zipped past my head and I heard a pained shriek from behind me. Turning as best as I could without flying off course, I saw the remains of a bat dissolving behind me. Quickly turning back around, I saw a peeved Zelda with her arm outstretched, clearly the source of the stone spike that came remarkably close to taking my head off.

From the expression on her face, I wasn't sure if she was trying to miss me or not.

A moment later, I was back on solid ground, tucking the glider away and warily watching my incensed girlfriend out of the corner of my eye. "What was that?" she asked in a deadly cool voice that made me flinch instinctively.

"I was going to get the key?" I said hesitantly, my answer coming out more as a question than a statement.

"Then let me make myself clear, Linkoln," she said lowly. "The next time you pull some stupid shit like that without telling me first, I will kill you. And then I'll do it again and again until you either stay dead or the message gets through. Got it?" I didn't bother pointing out the obvious nonsensicality of her threat, because at the moment, I had no doubt that she would live up to her every word. Instead, I merely nodded and let her lead the way out of the room, hoping I survived our adventure with all my organs intact.

* * *

We quickly moved through the hallways and through the other adjoining door to find a massive grate covered in a fine mesh in the ground covering a pool of lava. In typical fashion, as soon as the door impacted the ground a large hand appearing to be made of lava rose up from the seething liquid and started wildly groping for us.

A few minutes later, I had successfully demolished the thing with a few well aimed wind blasts at its base, scattering the molten droplets around the room as the thing fell apart, leaving us as safe as we could be while standing extremely close to a lake of lava. Another door awaited us on the left side of the room, and with little else to do, we dutifully went through it.

Immediately, I noticed something different about the room. For one thing, it was absolutely stifling. Second, mesh covered almost the entire floor, with only a small section at the end made of solid stone, shimmering magma flowing beneath the mesh. Third, an ominous bubbling was coming from the lava directly beneath us in a way that didn't bode well for us.

"Shit, run!" I yelled, kicking myself into high gear as the first lava hand started to emerge beneath where I had been a moment before. Zelda caught on just as quickly and we both sprinted towards solid ground. Multiple molten hands poured through the mesh, grasping for our rapidly moving forms. I idly wondered how they knew where we were before having to dodge around the grasping fingers of a hand that had emerged in front of us. We skidded to a stop as soon as we reached the safety of the rocky platform, having to make a short jump between where the mesh of the floor ended, and the stone began. For a terrifying moment, we were suspended over a glowing pool of liquid rock as equally molten hands reached up for us. And then we were safe, and the hands retreated back into the slag.

"I really hope the Goddesses think I'm worth after all this. Because I'm not really sure how to top 'running away from sentient lava' as far as the whole courage thing goes. Plus, it'd be pretty stupid to come out of this whole mess with no mystical power to show for it," I panted as we caught our breath. The heated air made breathing comfortably a challenge to begin with, not to mention the impromptu sprint.

"Agreed," Zelda gasped out. A minute later we were one key richer and making our way back into the big bat room. Another minute and we were behind where a previously hidden wall was and pried open a way too big chest, pulled out a way too big key, went out into the hallway, opened the way too big door with said way too big key, and made our way down a way too big flight of steps.

Finally, the dim tunnel spit us out into an echoing circular chamber. If previous experience was any indication, this was going to be the last fight of the dungeon and the two of us advanced accordingly, on guard against any attack. We both started at the booming voice that rang out from the darkness.

"Welcome, seeker who would hold the Triforce of Courage. You stand before the final test." The voice paused a moment before continuing. "Your companion must be excluded from this challenge. She does not pursue the indomitable strength of the Triforce." Before we could say anything, Zelda was suddenly against the door we had entered through, walled off behind a shimmering barrier. She appeared to be yelling in anger, but the golden wall surrounding her kept any noise from coming through.

"Seeker, heed my words," the disembodied voice continued. "Courage takes many forms. It is the strength to fight against all odds. It is the ability to retreat and come back stronger. It is more than bravery. Courage is determination, to surmount any and all obstacles in your path, no matter the stakes or the cost. It is not being immune to fear, but the ability to fight through fear and overcome." The room suddenly grew brighter until I could see the whole chamber, including the hulking dark shape in the center of the room. "Show your courage now as many have before you and prove yourself worthy of bearing the Triforce of Courage." The voice's last words echoed for a moment before fading entirely. I looked around the room cautiously, prepared for a sneak attack, but none came. The only thing in the room other than me and Zelda's shimmering prison was the colossal shape in the middle of the chamber.

Suddenly, the shape jerked and grew. Or rather, I realized, stood up. It straightened as best it could, arms bulging out from its sides, one enormous hand gripping a gigantic sword, the other holding a gold encrusted trident. Coarse fur seemed to cover the creature's back and parts of its body. A tail coiled from the thing's backside and its feet were some amalgamation of Hylian and pig feet. As it raised its elaborately horned head and brandished its fiery red hair, the monster turned slowly, facing me for the first time. Its beady eyes burned with hatred as it focused in on me and its roar nearly deafened me as it shook the room. I hardly had a moment to recover before it was swinging at me, its sword burying itself in the ground from a single swing.

I focused on dodging, moving around the pig demon's attacks, trying to find weak points and watching for tells on its attacks. Unfortunately, its really hard to find a weakness on a thing that is several times larger, stronger, and angrier than you. If the sword twice the size of me wasn't coming at me, the trident was boomeranging its way around the room, forcing me to either duck or throw myself out of the way of it, leaving me open to attacks from claws, swords, and tusks. Plus, it breathed fire, further limiting my movement, if only for a moment, as the blaze scorched the floor.

To make matters worse, I was completely alone. In all my other fights, I had Zelda in the wings, able to back me up, serve as a quick distraction, or, in the notable case of the Slime Behemoth, obliterate the monster by herself. Now, I had nothing but a sword, a shield, and a bag full of tricks. None of which were particularly effective against the abomination I was facing, especially if I couldn't get close to it without getting minced. Any long-range option I had was almost completely ineffective, the only purpose being to annoy the beast. Not that I had many. Zelda was holding the Divine Scepter behind the impenetrable barrier, decidedly out of reach. Which left me with my glider, a few rupees, and Zelda's enormous bottle of shampoo.

To be brief, I was short on options.

Finally, I saw a slight opening. The reach of the golden trident left the creature's right side vulnerable. If I could get in close, it wouldn't be able to get to me as easily. Without giving myself a moment to question the sheer insanity of getting closer to the pig monster, I ducked under a swing and carved my blessed blade into the creature's calf. I was rewarded for my efforts by a roar of pain from above me and a surprisingly swift hoof-foot trying to crush me. Barely able to get out of the way in time, I took a moment to cut at the slightly wounded leg again before retreating as best I could.

The further enraged roar told me I was doing something right, so I kept going, trying to find a new opening every time to keep from being predictable. One notable case was when I did a quick roll between the thing's legs to quickly hack at its hamstrings and tail before dashing away.

Eventually though, the monster caught on to what I was doing. Its eyes gleamed with deceptive intelligence as it watched my movements and adapted. It thrust with the trident more than threw it and took swings along the ground with the sword instead of the large overhead swings it had taken before. More fire further limited my movement, and I was beginning to tire while it seemed just as fresh as before, except for a slight limp in its legs. At least it couldn't chase me very well, forced to rely on its limited ranged attacks in order to keep assaulting me. Unfortunately, I was even worse off in a ranged fight.

Just as doubt began to creep into my heart, questioning whether I'd be able to beat the monster, I saw an opportunity. Remembering my trick with the updrafts earlier, I noticed the same kind of embers flying upwards near where the creature's fire landed. If I could use those, I might be able to use that. But I'd only get one shot at it and I didn't have that much maneuverability in the air. I'd have to get it to stop moving. And the only way to do that was going to suck.

With no other option, I ducked under another swipe from its sword, deflected a blow from the prodding trident that made me loose half the feeling in my right arm, sidestepped the follow up swipe from the trident, and finally reached the monster's legs. Swinging as hard as I could, I brought the keen edge of the Master Sword down on the ankle of the beast. As I had hoped, I had done enough damage that the sword cut deep into muscle and the demon immediately lost support from it. Back stepping as fast as it could, it swung its long sword at me, and I braced for impact.

It was probably only thanks to all of my magical reinforcement that I didn't immediately explode into paste. That said, it still hurt like a bitch. The sword crashed into the Hylian Shield, which managed to deflect the blow slightly, making it veer off course and miss my head by a few inches. Pain immediately screamed up my arm and I felt a few of my ribs break as my shield was pushed back into my chest.

The agony was almost overwhelming with its intensity, but I was forced to push it to the back of my mind as best I could to dodge a stream of fire shot from the demon's mouth. From what I could see, its legs were crippled for the moment, exactly what I had been hoping for. Fighting down my nausea, I made myself run towards the injured beast, jumping just out of the way of another fire blast.

A moment later, I could feel the updraft I was looking for. Snapping the glider open as best I could with a probably mangled right arm and hand, I let the vigorous wind catch and lift me, preserving as much forward momentum as I could to get above the pig monster. My plan worked and I was floating just above the abomination's head.

It peered up at me and for a moment we made eye contact. The sheer hatred in its gaze nearly made me falter. How could so much hatred be contained, much less stopped for good? This was a menace that didn't know when to quit. Unfortunately for it, neither did I.

With a final yell, I released my grip on my glider and aimed the Master Sword as I fell. The beast tried to move, but his crippled legs wouldn't let him. Before it could try anything else, my sword was hilt deep in its forehead.

"Gotcha bitch," I said to it before jumping clear as the 500-pound monster crumbled to the ground.

In typical fashion, all my pain I had been blocking out seemed to hit me at once, sending me to my knee before I got it under control. I turned to look at Zelda, hoping she would be able to heal me, but she was still trapped in her cage of light. Suddenly on edge, I spun back around to look at the pig demon, afraid I hadn't really finished it off and I was a second away from becoming pulp.

Golden light was streaming off the creature's corpse, slowly turning the thing's remains into a flowing mass of golden ropes, which were slowly consolidating at the center of the room. They wove themselves together in infinitely complex ways until the last one fit into place and the whole bundle flashed blindingly golden.

When my vision cleared, the tangle of golden thread was gone and in its place was a shimmering perfect triangle. Awestruck, I couldn't help but be entranced by the shine of it, its brilliance, and the overwhelming energy radiating off of it. It glimmered and gleamed, daring anyone to lay their hand on it and claim it as their own. As if in a trance, I raised my left hand and pressed it to the crackling surface of the triangle.

In an instant, I felt my very soul probed and tested. The feeling was as indescribable as it was fleeting. Another bright flash imprinted itself on my eyes and the triangle disappeared as I felt overwhelming determination fill me. In that moment, I could have done anything, conquered any challenge, faced any trial, overcome any enemy. The bones in my arm and chest righted themselves in an instant and I felt stronger than ever before. And then the feeling faded, and I was left with nothing but a shimmering filling the previously shaded bottom right triangle on the back of my hand.

The Triforce of Courage was mine.

* * *

 _So I understand that its been about two months since I've updated this story. I am sorry about that. School was kicking my ass, I almost failed one of my classes, and the inspiration for this story just wasn't flowing. I was having a tough time looking forward to anything I was going to write and so had no motivation to continue where I was. Dungeons are really hard to write. On the plus side, that is now blessedly over, I have no more school for a few months, the chapter is updated, and I have a really good part coming up that all you fluffers are just going to eat up. That said, I make no promises for when its going to come out. Depends on how my inspiration flows. Plus, I now have a really solid idea of another story I want to write that I might spend a bit of time on now that my guilt for leaving you guys hanging is gone. Again, I'm sorry about that._

 _But let's distract you all from your rage by answering some reviews, shall we? Oracle of Hylia, thank you so much. I know I love a good romance and I do my best, but I often question just how good it actually his. Rose-tinted glasses and all that. Not my glasses are tinted. That'd be so weird, seeing everything slightly red. Hard pass on that. I'm conflicted on the first hero. On one hand, yeah, he's cool. But on the other, Skyward Sword Link being the first and setting up the reincarnation cycle is just so good. I guess I'm okay with it if SS Link is not a reincarnation, but then some of that magic is lost. Especially from the manga perspective. Whatever, yeah, he cool. Twilit Lord, bit of advice to you, but I want it to be for everyone else as well, so see below for that. No, Moroth is not alive. He is very decidedly dead. He was a sword demon and when your sword gets atomized by sacred energy, there's really no coming back from that. Not sure what you mean by his own dimension though. He's really just a dude made of swords. Because that's cool. Silverblood Writer, thank you so much, hearing that someone enjoys the dungeons makes them much more bearable to write, because honestly, I hate them. Easily my least favorite part of the story. They serve a purpose, but damn if they're not annoying to come up with. Level design is hard. I too prefer original stories not bound to a specific game, makes the characters so much more interesting and you can really make them your own. Retellings are just kind of lazy sometimes. I will agree with you though, cliffhangers are only fun for the author. Everyone else just suffers. Side note, I read a bit of your Zelda story, I definitely enjoy it. Keep going with it. Sand Seal, I have been gone for a while, but this time I was gone even longer! So hah? I win? Maybe, I'll get back to you on that. Glad you enjoyed the cliffhanger, they are ever so fun to get a reaction out of you...I mean, serve a vital role in my storytelling. That's what I meant. Obviously. Good luck finding that trebuchet after all this time! SuicideGuy, I agree with everything you say in your reviews, thanks for weighing in on the chapters you like, I love to hear from new readers. As far as your last comment about the trials being made for Link, yes, he's technically cheating. Zelda is a massive help to him. He could definitely get it figured out eventually, but I don't have time for that. Besides, one guy talking to himself as he solves puzzles and kills stuff doesn't make for a very interesting story. And I hope this last chapter answers a bit of your question about his relative strength. Yeah, he relies on Zelda, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable of kicking some very serious ass all on his own. Maybe he's weaker, but I don't really think so._

 _Okay, so I've got a bit of advice to anyone else looking to write fanfiction, since I am obviously the resident expert on the topic and am qualified to so such a thing. Do it for yourself and stay determined to do it. You can't count on other people to flock to something just because it exists. Make it worthwhile and unique and above all, stick with it. It took me a good while before I got anything more than a dozen readers. I suspect the only reason that happened at all was because I put the first couple chapters out within a few days of each other. In any case, don't just throw something out and expect people to love it. I've had a dozen different ideas for stories over the past few months and do you know how many of them became an actual story in that time? One. Exactly one. Do not rush into it, make a plan for a story and then stick to it. Improvise when you have to and add stuff if you can, but make sure you have a solid idea and, if you can, an ending in mind before you start to write anything. And I'd recommend writing a few chapters before you start to post anything. I had a solid idea for a oneshot that I ultimately scraped because I didn't think it worked in the end. I'll be reusing the idea somewhere else, but in the framing I had set up, it just didn't work. That's okay, that's called trial and error. The important thing is to not give up. If you have something good, people will find it. Running blinding in the dark rarely works out very well, so figure out what your story is going to be before you write anything. That one story that worked out only did so because I spent roughly a week writing out short character bios, a timeline, and solidifying a theme for the whole thing before I even considered writing anything down. Preparation is never a bad thing when it comes to writing. Anyways, that's just what worked for me and what I've gathered from reading other stories, good and bad. I reserve the right to have a disclaimer here saying I don't know the secret formula for writing a world-shaking story, this is my own opinion. Good? Good._

 _In other news, I am again sorry that I took this long to write this chapter. Hopefully the next one will come more quickly. Also, as mentioned above, I have another story in the works, though I probably won't be posting it for a while. I want to get more of it written first. Plus I have to finish this story first. But if you guys are a fan of fluff and Darling in the Franxx, keep an eye out. Which is easily done by following me as an author, but you know, whatever. I'll also casually mention that you reviews mean the world to me and I love to read every single one. In fact, sometimes I go back and reread them just to get a little bit more motivation to write. It means a lot to me, so thank you. Also, I just missed it, but it has officially been a year since I posted the first chapter of this story. Doesn't feel like that long ago. Of course, I'd been working on this story bit by bit for probably a year before that, but whatever. Still a big milestone. Let's just hope it doesn't take another year to get it finished._

 _Thank you all again for reading, I hope you enjoyed and will come back for more. Next time we get a little break from the action and exchange it for some...other kinds of action. You all remember those hot springs on Death Mountain? Yeah... Anyways, don't forget to review and read my oneshots if you haven't already. I like them, though maybe that's just me. Cheers all, and don't go parachuting in a hurricane!_

 _~Aro_


	35. Chapter 35

_Small content warning up top for a bit of the sexy times throughout. Its the worst at the end. Read on! ~~I have since edited this chapter slightly~~_

* * *

It took Zelda and I another two hours to get back to the 'safe' part of Death Mountain. I guess the Triforce didn't think practically getting melted warranted any super-magical aid. Which was fine, except for the whole 'almost melting from the heat' part. By the time we made it back to the established path, I was more soaked with sweat and covered in dirt than I could ever remember being. Zelda didn't look much better. We decided to have a quick break to try to recover. With our backs to the warm rocks, we watched a cart trundle past.

"Damn this mountain," Zelda said, looking up at the dust-choked sky.

"Who's cursing the Goddesses now?" I said between heaving breaths. She just shot me a dour look before going back to staring at the sky. "You know," I said after taking a heavy swig from one of our last remaining water bottles, "I've heard the hot springs up here are fantastic. Rejuvenating, cleansing, relaxing, the whole deal. And since we have a while to catch a tram back down, I think I need a soak." Zelda turned her head slightly to look at me.

"If this is some joke to get my hopes up and then crush them, you are not going to survive the punch line. I feel like I rolled across this stupid mountain instead of walked." I nodded in agreement and, after just another minute to gather ourselves, we walked towards the Goron city to find the springs.

Of course, the hot springs were even further up the mountain, but this time we had Goron architecture to look at during the walk. Unsurprisingly, there were large amounts of rock involved, but also metal beams, swaths of fire-resistant cloth, and even traces of heavily darkened wood. Gorons comprised of most of the foot traffic, but there were a scattering of Hylians and Gerudo and even one adventurous Zora who appeared to have a large refrigeration unit on their back. No Rito ventured here though, as the fine ash in the air was extremely hazardous to their delicate lungs.

Eventually, and with the help of a very friendly Goron, we found the hot springs and hurried to change out of our filthy traveling clothes, wrapped some of the provided towels around ourselves, and made our way to one of the more secluded pools.

I expected the water to be hot, almost too hot, but was surprised when nothing but gentle warmth met my cautious foot, practically the perfect temperature. I quickly slid the rest of my body into the cloudy, slowly bubbling water, releasing a content sigh as I did. Whatever people said about those pools absolutely did not do them justice. It was so much better.

As I settled myself onto one of the rough-cut ledges in the pool, Zelda took her own tentative step into the pool and had much the same reaction as me. We both quickly got comfortable and, a moment later, let out twin groans of pleasure as the water soothed our aching bodies.

"I redact everything I said before," I said, closing my eyes as the water lapped at my chest. "Everything was worth it. Everything was absolutely worth it."

"Even the countless almost deaths, psychological trauma, injuries, and frantic fights?" Zelda asked from somewhere to my right.

"Absolutely. I'd do it all again. Because this is just.….ahhhhhhhh…." My mind followed the rest of my body and melted into bliss as the mineral-rich water washed away my worries.

"Yeah, me too," Zelda said, sinking slightly deeper into the water. I let myself float there for a few minutes before gently scrubbing at my skin, freeing the dirt and dust from it and exposing my growing collection of scars.

I traced over them as I cleaned, somewhat morbidly fascinated by the change between original and healed skin. They ran along my shoulders, arms, chest, and abdomen. I found what must have been either a recent one or an old one on my upper arm since I didn't remember getting it. Finally, my calloused hand trailed across the long scar I had gotten fighting the Inferno Centipede that Zelda had healed.

"I don't think you appreciate how scared I was when you got that," Zelda mumbled from her portion of the pool. I looked up to see her watching me as I touched my uneven skin. "When you got all of them, really. Even the small ones on your forearm from some Keese. I was terrified every time." She lapsed into silence before closing her eyes and laying back again. "But I'm glad."

"Zelda, I think you forget that we are on top of the largest mountain in Hyrule, not to mention the fact that it's an active volcano. If me getting hurt makes you happy, I have plenty of ways to do just that readily available," I said teasingly.

"Link, you are unbearable," she said, some measure of resignation in her voice. "I don't know how you possibly managed to charm me into liking you."

"I'm not sure I had as much to do with it as the soul bond did."

"Maybe for the 'liking you' part," she said, before slowly standing and wading through the pool towards me. Her long light hair was loose down her back and the sodden towel showed exactly how fine her figure was. I remained transfixed by her as she came to stand and then float in front of me before sitting on my leg and leaning against my chest, her mouth extremely close to my ear. "But the 'loving you' part was definitely all your doing," she said, slowly kissing me on the cheek.

"You sure?" I half mumbled, far too taken by the beauty in front of me to have time to worry about silly things like speaking.

"Positive," Zelda whispered before capturing my lips with her own. My mind lost track of time as we kissed gently, half-floating in the warmth of the hot spring. She was as feisty as ever, sometimes nipping at my lips or tightening her grip on my shoulders as her warm tongue twisted around mine. That's not to say I didn't have my moments too. I took full advantage of what I had learned about her weak points in our previous make out sessions to make her twist in delight.

It didn't take long for her to reposition herself so that she was kneeling on either side of my torso and resting her bottom on my legs. Her kissing became more insistent and her hands roamed around my shoulders and across my back and neck before twisting up into my hair, tugging at the long strands and rubbing into my scalp. I hadn't known just that could feel so good, but I wasn't going to be complaining. I only gripped her tighter to me, only her towel keeping our bare skin separate.

We grudgingly recognized our need for air and separated to catch our breath. I opened my eyes to see Zelda's still closed, her tantalizing chest heaving from our efforts. My eyes roamed upwards, across her pale collarbone, and up her delicate neck, past her flushed, sculpted lips before coming back to her eyes, which slowly opened, revealing their twinkling azure depths.

"Goddesses, you are beautiful," I whispered, our lips barely an inch apart. I felt the fluttering of her breath in the humid air as she whispered back.

"You say the sweetest things." Without a moment of hesitation, she dove back in, our lips and embrace tightening around each other. She shifted slightly, the rough fabric of her towel rubbing against my flushed skin. A second later, with the little bit of my brain not caught up in trying to force my tongue past Zelda's own, I noticed her wrap loosen a tiny bit, then a not so tiny bit.

"Zelda," I gasped out between her insistent kisses. "Your towel is- "

"I know what it's doing," she murmured before resuming what she was doing before. "I don't care," she said gently before a hand left my shoulder, I heard the soft splash of something falling into the water, and she leaned back in, pressing our now even more bare bodies together.

My pruning fingers roamed the newly exposed skin of her back, feeling the muscles tighten beneath my touch. Tugging her gently against me, the soft flesh of her breasts squished against my skin, which only made me want to feel more of her. My palms wrapped around her waist, slowly trailing upwards, waiting for her to tell me to stop, but she never did, so they kept going. The only response I had when I reached the base of her mounds was a throaty hum urging me onwards.

Zelda and I were still kissing, and her hands were far from inactive, but most of my attention was on my own as I poked, prodded, explored, experimented, and overall worshiped her supple feminine chest. Zelda's groans and hums told me what she liked and what she didn't, though to be fair, the first category was pretty all-encompassing. I was about to kiss my way down to her firm chest when I realized we were going to have a bit of a problem if I wasn't careful.

My hands reluctantly moved to Zelda's shoulders and pushed her back. "Zel, we've got to stop," I said breathlessly. She looked at me with clouded eyes and a look saying she thought very differently.

"I don't see why," she said, darting forward to kiss and tug at my lower lip with her teeth. I struggled to keep my eyes on hers and not let them drop down to her bare chest.

"Zelda, we have been making out mostly naked in a somewhat public place for…wait, what time is it?" It occurred to me that I couldn't see the sun on the peak of the volcano and that the sky was rapidly darkening. Shifting Zelda off my lap as gently and modestly as I could given our situation, I pulled myself partly out of the pool and reached for my nearby phone. "What time do the trams stop running again?"

"Seven thirty, why?" Zelda asked, with just a hint of irritation in her voice. I glanced back at her, holding my illuminated phone aloft. Fortunately, she had seen fit to cover herself again, leaving me mostly able to talk.

"We've got thirteen minutes to get down to the station." We both sat in silence for a moment before I dunked my head, scrubbing frantically at my blonde tresses to shake any remaining dirt free. I burst out of the water, scrambling out of the pool and scooping up our pouches. Tossing Zelda hers, we ran for the changing rooms. In the span of four minutes, we were dry (kind of), clothed, and sprinting through Goron City, dodging the almost exclusively Goron foot traffic as we ran.

We ran as fast as we could, but I could tell Zelda didn't have the stamina I did. At that rate, we weren't going to make it in time. As we ran, my eye caught on my left hand, or more specifically, the glittering symbol on the back of it. I quickly grabbed Zelda's hand and yelled to her.

"When I say to, run as fast as you can!"

"Link, I already am!"

"Just trust me!" I turned my focus inward, looking for what I knew had to be there. After a moment, I felt it, golden energy bursting to life within me. Snapping my eyes forward again, I let the golden energy fill my legs and leak across to Zelda. "Now!" I yelled, practically leaping forward with a burst of acceleration. As I hoped, our pace increased, and we hurtled down the mountain at a ludicrous speed.

Our burst of speed was just enough to get us to the tram station in time. We hopped aboard the almost entirely empty vehicle just as it started moving, barely slowly ourselves before we slammed into the seats, nearly knocking the wind out of us from the force of our impact.

We sat there, catching our breath for a moment before Zelda started to laugh. I only lasted a moment before I joined her, both of us giggling as the tram made its way down the mountain. Eventually we calmed down, resting against each other and enjoying the passing scenery in each other's presence.

"Was that the Triforce?" Zelda asked after a while of silence. "That burst of speed?" I gave a brief nod. "How'd you trigger it?"

"It was kind of instinctual," I said, trying to remember what I had been feeling through the adrenaline. "I just focused on needing to go faster and managed to activate it. I guess I just…well, for lack of a better word, wished for it to happen."

"Interesting," Zelda mumbled from beside me. I could tell she was deep in thought, probably trying to analyze it as best she could. Watching her face scrunched up in concentration was nothing but endearing to me. Her only response when I wrapped my arm around her was to move slightly closer, not breaking her thousand-yard stare for a moment. Content to leave her to her thoughts, I rested my head on her own blonde locks, letting my eyes slip closed as I inhaled her fresh scent mixed with that of the hot springs.

* * *

We didn't do anything else that night when we got to the small town at the bottom of the mountain. The proximity to the volcano had made it a small tourist town but had kept the permanent population low as well. Because, you know, volcano. We easily found a nice restaurant that served a killer bowl of pasta and a hotel to stay the night at. We kept our shenanigans to a minimum, both out of embarrassment from what had happened at the hot springs and to save our energy for our continued trip. Of course, we still slept next to each other, which inevitably to a few goodnight kisses, but you can't win them all.

We left early the next morning, driving south. Our plan was to head through the Lanaryu Wetlands, Kakariko Village, and Necluda to where we hoped the Triforce of Wisdom was hidden. In theory, we could probably make it in a day, but since we weren't exactly sure where our destination was, we decided to take it a little easier and rest in Kakariko for a night.

Our stay in Kakariko was about as uneventful as we expected. We hung out at our hotel for a little while and then hit the town. We ate at a traditional Sheikah restaurant that had us sitting on the floor and made us feel very out of place in our modern clothes when everything about the place, from the décor, to the serving dishes, to the waiters' outfits made us feel like we had stepped back in time.

We decided to walk around in the traditional part of town as well, getting a taste for how the Sheikah had lived in ages past. We even bought a few things, mostly baubles, but Zelda walked out of one particular store wrapped in a magenta-colored traditional kimono, her hair delicately tied up above her head. She was an absolute vision and I mostly managed to suppress my urge to kiss her on the spot.

She only got one as opposed to the countless she would have received had we not been in the middle of a busy street.

We walked the streets, admiring the buildings and the lights that started glowing once evening set in. We strolled around, enjoying the atmosphere and the temporary escape from reality that permeated the place. Evening slowly turned to night and the sky darkened from navy blue to near black, only interrupted by the pinpricks of the stars.

Eventually, we found our way back to the hotel, hand in hand. Zelda's kimono was the perfect combination of form fitting and concealing and it had been steadily driving me crazy for the better part of the night. I could hardly wait to get back.

The hotel room door swung shut behind us and Zelda was quick to sit down on the bed, leaning over to massage her legs.

"You wouldn't think these things would make your legs cramp up," she groaned out, trying her best to work her muscles and remain leaning over at the same time. Judging from her uncomfortable face, it wasn't working very well.

"Here," I said, tossing our magical pouches to the side and kicking off my own shoes. "Lay back, I'll work the kinks out; you'll never get anywhere like that." She nodded, flopping back on the bed. I slowly eased her shoes off her, followed by her socks. "Do you want me to do your feet too?" I asked, to which she gave a short 'sure,' and I got to work.

Over the course of my weeks of training, I had gotten pretty good at identifying cramped and tightened muscles. I won't claim I was as good as any real masseur, but I at least knew where to push. A fact Zelda quickly learned when I started going over her feet, pushing gently before working my way deeper into the muscle as she started to relax.

"Weren't you wearing pants earlier?" I asked as I started up her long, sculpted legs. I was all too aware of the work of beauty I was currently running my fingers along. Furthermore, the jeans she had been wearing earlier were conspicuously absent under the purplish fabric of the traditional Sheikah clothing.

"I…took them off," she said slowly, barely stifling a groan as I worked one particularly stubborn spot. "The saleswoman said it'd probably be too hot to wear both."

"Makes sense," I mumbled, intently focused on my task. I briefly took a moment to thank the mystery woman for her foresight and wisdom before I started on the calf of Zelda's other leg. A relieved sigh left her lips as I felt the muscle under my hands loosen and become more pliant.

I slowly moved up to her thighs, tugging the edge of the kimono to the side as I did. I could feel the garment loosen as I worked, becoming looser and looser around her waist as I steadily worked my way up. I delicately edged around the small pair of shorts she was wearing, not wanting to push my luck. Even an idiot knew jumping directly into the deep end was a bad idea.

"Would you do my back too?" Zelda asked, her voice hushed. I quickly said I would, and Zelda flipped over, loosening the robe further as she did. "I suppose I should take this off, huh?" she said over her shoulder, looking both embarrassed and coquettish with her flushed cheeks. She slowly dragged the fabric off her shoulders, exposing the creamy skin beneath. The band of her bra briefly came into view before she paused, it loosened, and then fell away. "I'd just get in the way," she said, almost to herself. I almost asked what exactly it might get in the way of, but I held my tongue.

She laid back down on the bed, her bare back exposed to me. I slowly traced my hands from her shoulders towards her neck before starting to knead the underlying muscles. Whether intentional or not, Zelda groans and grunts of pleasure quickly became more frequent and less subtle. On the plus side, it made my job a little easier. Any slight squeak was a sure indication I was on the right track. The more vocal she was, the better it felt. I worked my way steadily down her spine, teasing out every kink I could find until my girlfriend was nothing but a soft, humming blob on the bed.

"Hmmm, how'd you get so good at that?" Zelda asked as I continued to rub her back. I had already seen to all of her aches and was really just satisfying my desire to touch every inch of her immaculate skin, but given her lack of protest, it didn't seem like she really cared.

"Lots of practice," I said, only half paying attention. I found myself alternating between continuing to massage her lower back and running my fingers through her long hair. The silky strands threaded through my fingers like cool water, tickling my fingers as they passed. I was quickly becoming further entranced by Zelda's beauty. Her slim shoulders gently sloped up to her neck and arched spine, individual vertebrae standing out as tiny peaks running down her body. Her curving outline thinned at her waist before flaring back out until the kimono still around her waist hid her form from sight.

"See something you like?" Zelda murmured, peering over her shoulder at me, flirtation and seduction layered in her voice.

"Have I ever told you you're gorgeous?" I said quietly, brushing her hair off her exposed back again.

"It's come up once or twice," she mumbled into the bedding. "It's been a while though." She grabbed an edge of the blanket and pulled as she rolled over, wrapping her still mostly bare form up in the sheets. "Well? Going to join me?" she asked.

I hesitantly laid down on the bed, still fully dressed with the exception of my shoes. Zelda rolled her eyes, wrestling me closer to her.

"At least take your shirt off, dumbass. Or were you planning on sleeping like that?" She efficiently pulled my shirt off me, somehow quickly followed by my pants and socks for good measure.

"You do realize you have just put yourself in the same bed as a teenage guy, mostly naked, and completely without adult supervision, right?" I said nervously.

"I'm an adult, you know," she said somewhat petulantly. "I can supervise you…" she whispered, not letting up for a moment. She pressed in closer, her naked breasts pressing against my own chest for the second time in as many days.

"You are being really pushy, you know that?" I said, slowly (not that slowly) warming up to her mood as Zelda peppered me with kisses.

"Is that a 'no'?"

"I didn't say that; I'm just wondering why you're so…forward suddenly." A small wrinkle appeared between Zelda's eyebrows.

"Can't you just enjoy this? Is that too much to ask? I thought guys were supposed to be up for sex all the time." A hint of venom had slipped into her voice, and we had spent enough time together that I knew something was up.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on Zelda," I said, finally pushing her back and off me. I had to make a specific effort to not look at her exposed chest, but I managed. "Is something wrong?"

"What do you mean? Nothing's wrong," she said, breaking eye contact with me as she did.

"Come on, I may have my moments, but I'm not an idiot. What's wrong?"

"I told you, it's nothing!" she said, her voice getting louder and louder. She wrenched her shoulders out of my grip and laid down on the bed as far away as she could with the limited space available.

"Zelda, c'mon, would you just tell me what's up?" I couldn't just ignore whatever problem she was having like she wanted to. I'd been in enough fights with Shade and Sheik to know that wouldn't end well. "We're not doing anything until you tell me what's bothering you, and that includes sleep. So either tell me what's wrong or this is going to be a really long night for both of us."

"No! You can't make me!"

"I don't have to make you, but I won't let up until you tell me."

"I said no!" she shouted from beneath the covers. "You'll just think it's stupid," I heard her mostly whisper. It was just the hook I needed.

"I'll think what is stupid?" I saw Zelda's hunched shoulders beneath the blankets sag as she admitted defeat. She slowly pulled the covers down until I could see just her bright blue eyes.

"I…you…you killed that last boar-pig-monster all by yourself. You didn't need my help even if I could have offered. I…Suddenly I was back to being useless. And now you've got one of the most powerful sources of magic in existence. We don't even know what the Triforce of Courage is capable of, let alone what it can do when its combined with the other two pieces, but if the stories are true, you basically have the power of a god with the whole thing. I just…didn't want you to not need me anymore. So I…figured I'd make sure you needed me." I couldn't help but sigh.

"Yeah, you're right, that is stupid." I half expected Zelda to disappear back beneath the covers, but she just looked at me with vulnerable eyes. "Zelda, I don't care how powerful or whatever I get, I will never not need you. I would give anything to see you safe and happy. You are the most important thing in my life and you are an idiot for thinking I would stop needing you." I didn't think I said anything particularly endearing, but the shimmer in Zelda's eyes before she launched herself at me, grabbing me in a smothering embrace, showed that it apparently meant a lot to her.

"I'm sorry, Link. I've just…I don't know, I've been in a weird mood. I knew it was dumb, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. It doesn't help that we've hardly had a day of rest for the past month. We're always running around doing something and...it's just getting to me. I just...I wanted to feel normal again."

I couldn't help but laugh quietly at her frustration, despite my attempts otherwise. She gave me an annoyed grunt before smacking me on the chest. "And here I thought you knew what you were signing up for when we started." She smacked me again, justifiably so. After a minute, I managed to get her calmed down again. "I'm sorry it's been hectic. I'm not a fan of it either. In fact, I'm really not looking forward to getting out of this bed tomorrow to just keep traveling. But," I said quietly. "the way I see it, we're the only ones who can do this. So we have to suck it up." I let my words hang in the air for a minute before trying to break the somber mood. "But I bet Felia would be happy to give us as many days off as we want after we save the world." I could tell it worked, as Zelda relaxed again and snuggled up next to me.

"Fine," she mumbled into my chest. "But I'm not just going to be satisfied with days off. I think I deserve ice cream too. A lot of ice cream." I laughed, stroking her smooth hair.

"I think we can manage that."

* * *

 _~~As mentioned above, I reedited the ending of this chapter because it really wasn't sitting right with me. Too much sexiness for the sake of sexiness. Thus, a reedit.~~_

 _Well slap my momma and shoot me sideways, that took a while. Any of my fellow writers out there, I know you know the feeling of just not being happy with a chapter, so maybe I can get some sympathy from you for making you wait so long. But I think I made up for it, right? I feel like I'm just flinging fluff everywhere with this one. Oh well, I'll take what I can get. This chapter and the next one were supposed to all be one and I was going to literally only mention Kakariko, but I realized that would be moving a little to quickly for my liking and be missing out on one of the best opportunities for some chill time in a while. So the excitement is going to wait until next time. Instead, we get a...different kind of excitement. Hope you're not too disappointed or horrified by the rampant teenagery. And yes, I made that word up, but as Thor so wisely pointed out, all words are made up. So zip it._

 _Let's get those reviews going, eh? Twilit Lord, no Fire Slime Behemoth. Not only is that boring, but it doesn't serve the plot. So out the door with that. As far as the dimension thing goes...eh, I kinda see what you mean. I guess I just don't see it that way. Was that Ganon? Maybe. We don't know. Maybe we'll find out? I guess we'll see. I'll consider writing in a small character like that if it makes sense for the story and helps with the flow. But no promises. I serve my own ideas above all. Oracle of Hylia, I think you missed the sarcastic part of my advice. I don't think I'm really all that qualified to talk on how to write much of anything. Much smarter people are way better at it. Hell, I didn't even follow my own advice with this story. I started writing it and came up with the framework afterwards. All the same, I'm flattered you think so. That said, I've got more advice if you guys want to hear it (for some reason). If you do, let me know and maybe I'll write something up. Silverblood, I have been absent for a while and I continue to apologize for that. I too love the small bits of humor I manage to fit in. Zelda continuing to kill Link was totally something I came up with on the spot and just had to throw in. Remember to take your time with your writing and don't rush anything if you don't think it's ready. I had this chapter written last night, wasn't completely satisfied with it, and came back and retooled bits of it, resulting in what I think is a much better chapter. Write for yourself! Everyone else can wait. WolfyPrincess, thanks for reading! I'm really glad you enjoy it, especially the dungeons that I've poured my blood, sweat, and tears into. And yes, I will get a piece of cake, and you can't stop me! Know why? 'Cause you're not my mom, hah! On another note, I hope I haven't driven you too crazy yet. I was hoping to save that until later. Sand Seal, you should be careful with deep inhales like that, you'll attract flies. On another note, that sounds disturbingly like something a tsundere would say. Not sure why I thought of that, but I'm nothing if not honest. And that trebuchet threat is not helping. Foopuff, it has indeed been a while, but it's been a while since I posted anything too, so I guess we're even. In my opinion, anything requiring swinging on bars is basically a jungle gym of death, so go ahead and take that description with a grain of salt. Though, for Link, it was pretty bad, so whatever. Yes, Link is the baddest of asses, I think we've well established that by this point. I shall indeed check your story out at some point, the small bit I've read already looks promising, so you'll definitely hear from me about it at some point. If another Slime Behemoth had been in the works, I think Link and Zelda would have just been kind of resigned. Like a 'not surprised, just disappointed' type of thing. But kicking giant piggy ass is way better, so I went with that._

 _How do you guys always make me write so much? I don't get it, I try to keep it short, I swear._

 _~~This kind of still applies~~_

 _Anyways, I hope the sexiness didn't break any of your poor, probably underage minds. Who am I kidding, this is fanfiction we're talking about. I'm sure you've all come up with worse. Surprisingly difficult to write and keep somewhat out of the range of just straight terrible. Not that I want to write that, I like to think of myself as better than that, but really it's all the same. Just so you all know, I think I'll be changing this story to an 'M' rating, not that anyone really cares, but I want people to know what they're getting into. If you don't think that's necessary, let me know. Even though I immediately change the search parameters to 'all' when looking for new stuff, I'm sure not all of you do. That 'T' rating helps my reader base grow. Whatever, probably not a big deal either way._

 _I've got a party to go to, so I'll be cutting this off now. Hopefully should have plenty of time to do some good writing soon, so maybe it won't take a month to get a new chapter out this time. As usual, no promises, but you never know. Check back frequently, write some nice long reviews, watch some good tv (make it anime, I generally hate American tv. Though we are getting more Stranger Things...), don't blow you hands off celebrating America Day if you're American (and if you're not American, I don't discriminate), and haaaaaaaaaaaaaave a great day! Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


	36. Chapter 36

When I woke up the next morning to the sound of the bathroom door closing and the shower sputtering to life. The events of the two days before slammed to the forefront of my mind. Thinking about it, I was lucky it ended the way it had. If he hadn't been careful, who knew what might have happened.

"I'll have to make sure she's okay," I mumbled to myself as I dug through my bag for a change of clothes, as well as the map we had made to guide us towards where the pieces of the Triforce were probably hidden. "Hopefully a short trip today," I said, tracing through the Necluda region. "Still a lot of area to cover. Plenty of hollows and ponds. I just hope we're looking in the right place."

"We are, I'm sure of it," said a voice from over my shoulder. I startled, turning to see Zelda peeking over my shoulder. I hadn't even heard her come out of the bathroom. Her still damp hair was slightly tangled as strands of it fell off her shoulder and onto mine.

"That's an awful lot of confidence when we're looking for one particular cave in a mountain range known for hiding hidden crevices. Where do you want to start looking?" I asked, gesturing to the large area we had to search. Zelda grabbed the map from me, looking it over before pointing to a specific spot.

"Here. We'll start in this area, around Mount Rozudo, and work our way south-west. Meda Mountain, Mount Taran, Breman Peak, and Taran Pass are all in roughly the same area. I figure it might take us a day or two, but we should be able to find it."

"And what if it's not there?" I still wasn't sure we were looking in the right place. The poem really had been vague when it came to detailing the location of the Triforce of Wisdom.

"We cut our losses and make for the desert. We all but know that's where Power is hidden. Then we either figure out where else Wisdom might be or head back to the castle and see if anyone's had any other ideas." Zelda spoke with confidence and assurance, making me wonder if events were going to turn out the way she said purely from force of will. Knowing her, I wouldn't be surprised. In the face of that, I had to concede.

"Alright, Miss Know-it-all, have it your way," I said smiling as I plucked the map from her grip and rolled it back up. "I'm…" I stopped, hesitant to broach the topic of last night with her. "…going to take a shower," I said quickly, making a beeline for the bathroom. For being the new holder of the Triforce of Courage, I sure was a coward. 'There'll be plenty of time later,' I reasoned with myself as I hopped in the shower, my thoughts quickly replaced with shock and curses as the cold water hit me right in the face.

* * *

"Mmm, this really is fantastic," Zelda said, enthusiastically digging into what was left of her breakfast. We had stopped by a nearby café to get some real food instead of the mixture of snacks and fast food that usually fueled our journeys across the country. We had managed to snag a table outside and were watching the people as they passed, opening shops, getting breakfast, doing early morning shopping, or just walking down the street.

"Yeah, it was pretty good," I said, absentmindedly playing with my long, green sock-hat. I had decided (thanks to Zelda's very persistent suggestion) to wear my full heroing outfit as we explored the Hyrulean countryside. I wasn't necessarily thrilled to wear it in public, but it didn't stand out too much. Plenty of people were wearing traditional Sheikah robes, so I think most people probably assumed I was just wearing something related. At any rate, they didn't stare too much.

I mostly watched the people pass, not quite ready to talk to Zelda about the night before, and since that was inevitably where the conversation was going to go, I thought it best to just not talk much. The only problem with that was that Zelda was hardly oblivious.

"Okay," Zelda said, nibbling on the last of her scone. "What's up with you? You've been sulky all morning." I kept watching the street, my eyes fixating on a red-haired man to keep from glancing at Zelda. I felt like I had seen him before but couldn't place it. Unfortunately, he quickly passed out of sight.

"Look, if it's about last night…Link, would you please look at me?" she asked, exasperation growing in her voice. I glanced at her but couldn't bring myself to hold eye contact with her for more than a second before turning back to the street. "I'm sorry for what I did, I guess I wasn't thinking clearly. In fact, I need to thank you for stopping me and for comforting me. It was…just…can we just forget about it?" she asked, but I was only half listening.

My attention was caught on the tall man with the red hair I had seen a moment earlier. I thought he had moved on, but he was still there, wandering aimlessly and constantly looking at something in his hand. In the minute I had been watching him, he had walked past us on the other side of the street twice already. On the second pass, I got a look at what looked like a black compass in his hand. He glanced up every couple seconds, clearly looking for something.

It wasn't just his hair that had caught my attention though. His clothes were clearly not Hylian-made, the fabric a mixture of oranges, reds, and blacks, and looked loose and breathable. He had an abnormal amount of skin showing too, all of it the rich brown of someone who wasn't a stranger to the sun. His long red hair reached down to his lower back and was barely restrained by a few bands in the unruly strands and a gem with a series of chains on his forehead. Decorative earrings hung from his notably rounded ears.

He abruptly stopped walking, not budging an inch when someone bumped into him, and turned in place, moving the compass this way and that. He slowly turned until he was directly facing us before looking up and meeting my eyes. A sinister looking smile split his face.

I finally recognized him. And the words of a certain superfluous demon came to mind.

"Zelda, we need to go," I said quietly, not breaking eye contact with the man as I pulled out a few rupees to pay for our meal.

"What? Why? And what are you looking at?" she asked, turning to see the man still looking at us. "Is that…?" she murmured.

"Yeah, that's Ganondorf Dragmire. And judging from what I remember Keritan saying at the school, I don't think him being here is a coincidence." I finally looked away from Ganondorf to see Zelda looking just as worried as I felt. "I think we should probably run," I said. I caught a flash from where Ganondorf was standing and saw that he had a growing, crackling ball of magic in his hand and was poised to throw it. "Yeah, definitely run!" I shouted, hauling Zelda to her feet as we sprinted out of the way, just in time to avoid the ball of electricity that slammed into the metal table and chairs we had been in a moment before, all of which promptly exploded in a shower of sparks.

"Head towards the main street," Zelda said, her hand gripping my own tightly. "We need to get out of here fast." I glanced over my shoulder as we took a sharp left to see that, for how big the guy was, Ganondorf was fast, not to mention only a few yards behind us. He was also hurling more magic at us that we only dodged thanks to our abrupt left turn.

"He's still shooting at us! Can you put up a shield or something?" Not a second later, a glowing barrier appeared around us. We made it another dozen steps before another crackling orb slammed into it and the whole thing shattered like one of those fancy eggs. "Is that a no then?" I asked, my voice laced with sarcasm.

"Give me a minute," she shot back, making a hand gesture behind us. I heard a thud like someone had just run into a plate glass window and managed to see that our pursuer had been stopped by another glowing shield, this one placed specifically to block him. Unfortunately, it only slowed him down for a second before he shattered it with a punch. Zelda threw another one, but this time he wasn't even phased, blasting through it like it wasn't there. "Okay, fine," Zelda grumbled, somewhat breathlessly, ducking under another orb that crashed into a store and showered us with shingles and wood. "That's a no."

"Fantastic." I tugged Zelda to the left, out of the way of yet another sparking ball of death. I ran through our options as we continued to veer through the relatively small streets of Kakariko. I really didn't want to confront the guy. With his speed and bulk, I didn't doubt he could go toe to toe with me in a fight. Running was becoming less and less appealing, and since he seemed to be operating on an 'violently electrocute first, ask questions to the blackened corpses later' approach, talking didn't seem like a good idea. We probably couldn't stop him with anything less than a steamroller.

"What do you think he wants?" Zelda asked, shaking me out of my thoughts as we pitched around another corner, more electric orbs crashing around us. Zelda would periodically throw up a shield to block some shots, but it was just making her tire more quickly. She was stumbling more often, and I knew if we didn't get away quickly, we'd be in a significant amount of trouble. Well, more significant.

"You know, I'm not sure. Maybe he just didn't like our breakfast choices. He wants to kill us Zelda, what does it look like?!" I shouted and dodging away from a street post that promptly exploded. We took another turn and I could see the main road ahead of us.

I finally got an idea. Still holding onto Zelda's hand, I reached into one of my pockets and fished out the Sheikah Slate. Tapping an icon on the screen with my nose, I immediately threw the tablet as far ahead of us as I could. Just as I had hoped, it dissolved to take the form of the Master Cycle Zero, purring and ready to go. With one last burst of speed, we reached it. Clambering on, I willed it to shift to its smaller, faster form and gunned it.

We tore out of the side street, engine revving, sending people scrambling out of the way as we accelerated down the main road. "Did we lose him?" I asked Zelda, too focused on not crashing into the slow-moving traffic to check myself. I felt her shift behind me and heard the loud roar of an engine behind us. She quickly turned back to face forward.

"No, we definitely didn't lose him." I risked a glance backwards to see the Gerudo King on a large motorcycle of his own, having a slightly harder time navigating the traffic, but still hot on our tail. "We've got to get rid of him, or he'll follow us right to the Triforce," Zelda said as we floored it onto the highway. We hugged a turn, trying to gain a little speed on our pursuer, but he matched us curve for curve. We had just hit a long, thankfully empty straightaway when Zelda suddenly yelled in my ear.

"LEFT!" Not pausing to think, I leaned left, barely managing to avoid another death orb. I chanced another look just in time to see Ganondorf launch more deadly magic at us from his upraised hand. I did my best to avoid them, using a combination of quick glances, keen senses, and instructions from Zelda to keep us from being flash barbequed. It was far from a perfect solution though.

"Any way you could knock the bike out from under him?" I asked Zelda, who immediately shot the idea down.

"He's got enough force and magic behind him that anything I try just breaks immediately. He's too strong for us to beat." I almost immediately came up with an idea.

"Too strong for us, but not for him. Do you think you could reflect his magic back at him?" I heard some vaguely magical sounds behind me for a moment before Zelda said that she couldn't, something about their magic interfering with each other. "Well," I said, coming up with another idea and knowing that Zelda wouldn't like it. "How confident are you driving?"

It took a minute of convincing and a bit of awkward shuffling, but Zelda ended up in front of me on the bike, gripping the handlebars with a white-knuckled grip. Holding my balance on two out jutting spikes on the chassis, I hefted the Hylian Shield just in time for one of the magic balls to impact it. Unfortunately, it didn't reflect the ball like I had hoped. Instead, the electricity arced across the surface, most of the energy absorbed by the absurdly sturdy shield. A few stray tendrils still managed to jump across to my shoulder and chest, leaving me momentarily overcome with horrible pain before it dispersed. I certainly didn't want to be hit by one of those blasts head on.

A few more failed attempts at bouncing the crackling spheres back, left me searching for another option, something I was desperately in need of. Zelda, not being as confident driving the Master Cycle, was basically just driving straight, leaving me to either block Ganondorf's magic or hope he missed. Which he didn't.

We managed to avoid another two balls, but I could see a curve coming up ahead, which would force us to slow down, giving Ganondorf all the time he would need to land a crippling blow. Out of options, I reached around in my pouches, desperate for anything that would let me stop the next ball of electricity that was currently approaching my face. My fingers wrapped around something and, without hesitation, I swung it at the orb of death.

In the following seconds, it was hard to say who was more surprised. Ganondorf stared in shock as his own magic suddenly flew back at him, his astonishment not leaving him any time to block or dodge. It slammed into his chest, bright lines of electricity coursing across his body and into his bike. He lost control almost immediately, the motorcycle pitching sideways and throwing Ganondorf into the ditch and shrubbery next to the highway hard as the vehicle bounced into the air before exploding.

I did a double take at the absurd effectiveness of the clear, empty bottle in my left hand.

"Link?! Did it work? Can you take over now?" Zelda yelled, a tinge of panic creeping into her voice as the curve in the road approached. I came back to my senses just in time to switch back with her and pull around the curve of the highway, leaving a likely very injured Ganondorf in the dust. Hopefully that would get him off our backs long enough to put a reasonable distance between us.

On the plus side, our high-speed chase had covered much more distance than we would have in that time, leaving us with only a short drive to where we disembarked the Master Cycle and started walking up and down the mountains.

"I suppose the convex surface would have aided in adjusting the flow of magic and redirected it. Glass is known to be a decent conductor of magic, after all. Though usually with anything other than the purest of glass, the effects of large amounts of energy always overload the structure and cause it to fail. Maybe the Triforce helped?"

"Zelda," I said, interrupting the girl's musings as we descended another hill. "I think we should both just agree that perfectly reflecting ridiculously powerful magic with a glass bottle makes no sense and leave it at that. Because as impressive as it is that you're managing to get an idea of how it might work, we've kind of got bigger fish to fry."

"You're right, certain species of fish are known to have magic-reflective scales. Maybe if we put a bunch of them in that jar, we could reflect something even more powerful." I just shook my head and kissed her on the forehead. If nothing else, that at least managed to shake her out of her thoughts.

"Huh, what? What did you do that for?" she asked, disoriented from the abrupt break in her train of thought. I couldn't help but chuckle and ruffle her hair.

"Don't worry about it. We're coming up on some more pools, keep an eye out for anything that could be the cave." Zelda looked at me like I was the crazy one as she fixed her hair, but ultimately started scanning for alcoves in the rock.

We had kept up the same routine for most of the day, examining hollow after hollow in hopes of finding the right one. Zelda was still sure we were in the right place, but with every false alarm, I grew increasingly worried that we were looking in the wrong area. We really needed to get this done as soon as possible. Ganondorf, who was supposed to be missing, directly attacking us didn't bode well for the future. I got the feeling we were rapidly running out of time.

Ironically, I had gotten lost in my thoughts when I heard a yell from Zelda over to my right. Running over, I saw her standing at the very back of a pool with a large, naturally formed stone arch hiding it in shade. "There's a cave further back here," she called. "I think it could be what we're looking for." I waded through the pool to her and saw that there was indeed a small entrance hidden behind a large boulder, so well hidden, you'd almost never find it unless you were looking for it.

We managed to squeeze through, though the opening was small enough that I had to pass the Master Sword and Hylian Shield through separately. Not for the first time, I thanked the Goddesses for my magical pouches. It would have been completely impossible to fit a bulky backpack through the slim passage.

Once we were through, Zelda summoned a small ball of light to illuminate our surroundings. A rough-cut tunnel burrowed deeper into the mountain, a small trickle of water dripping from the ceiling and crisscrossing along the floor as it followed the passage down. We walked in silence, both of us on edge for any lurking threats. Steadily, the walls smoothed out, becoming more refined the deeper we ventured.

"Do you hear that?" Zelda eventually asked, breaking the silence of the cave. I listened for a minute before I heard what she was talking about. A dull roar echoed faintly towards us, barely audible.

"Yeah, I do. Let's find out what it is," I said, both of us resuming our journey. The roar grew, from barely discernable to an all-consuming thundering rush that made conversation nearly impossible. Finally, we saw light ahead. It danced and flickered as if reflecting on something. We jumped down one last ledge before looking to see what we had stumbled upon.

A large room stood before us, part of the walls smoothed out, betraying the work of hylian hands. A wide stone bridge spanned a deep gap in the middle of the room, leading to a familiar looking door with a series of triangles arranged over it. From multiple points around the room, torrents of water poured in, clearly the source of the roar that I now recognized as that of a waterfall, though distorted due to the sound echoing. The large spouts of water all dumped into the central basin, the thousands of gallons disappearing into some unseen point.

Zelda and I could only exchange looks thanks to the incessant crash of the water and made our way across the sturdy bridge, stray droplets of water splashing up to land on us. We pried the door open before letting it close behind us. Thankfully, the sealed entrance cut out most of the noise from the waterfalls, leaving us able to hear again.

"Geez, I get that it's a nice sight, but I don't think whoever built this place had a proper appreciation for just how loud hundreds of gallons of water are," Zelda said, her voice seeming to echo strangely as my ears struggled to adjust to the difference in noise. Before I could formulate a response though, a chunk of stone sailed into my peripheral vision and crashed into Zelda's arm, sending her crumbling to the floor in pain.

I immediately spun to see a dark shape disappear into a large channel of water that passed through the middle of the new room we were in. I frantically searched for the attacker, initially unable to see anything in the dark water. After a second though, I was able to make out a form moving around under the rippling surface.

I ripped the Master Sword from my back, the power of the Triforce surging into the blade as I swung it. A wide beam of energy flew from the edge, sailing across the water just as the shape emerged from the depths again. I caught a glimpse of a bulbous, almost balloon-like form and a large mouth before the arc of magic cut the monster in half, its separated pieces drifting apart as it crumbled away.

I waited a second to see if we would be attacked again. Only when I was sure we were safe did I turn back to Zelda, who was holding her injured arm to her chest.

"Are you okay?" I asked frantically, gently probing her arm to feel for breaks. Thank the Goddesses, there didn't seem to be any.

"I'll be okay," Zelda whispered, eyes still clenched in pain. I rolled up her sleeve to find a rapidly forming bruise on her bicep. I poked at the edge, quickly withdrawing when I heard Zelda hiss in pain again. "It'll probably heal in an hour or two, so don't worry about it." I mentally thanked Hylia for giving Zelda magical healing powers. Seeing her in pain hurt a very specific part of my heart and soul.

"Do you want to wait for it to heal before we move on?" I asked, not wanting to push her forward if she was hurting too much. She quickly shook her head.

"We don't have time to wait around. I can still walk and use magic, so we should keep going. We can't waste a single minute." Impressed not for the first time at her strength and determination, I pulled her to her feet by her uninjured arm. We turned again to face the other side of the room, watching the shifting stream of water that separated us from our way forward.

"Well," I said, a little resigned. "Ready to get wet?"

* * *

 _Eugh. This took so long to do. Not even for a good reason either. It's far from the most challenging thing I've written and I've had plenty of time. I just...couldn't write it. I'm terribly sorry for keeping you all waiting for so long, only to give you what is, in my mind, a bit of a boring chapter. I'll have to ask that you forgive any changes in tone, since this was written over the course of roughly two months. So it goes. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story in the meantime though. I do love seeing that people are still enjoying this story._

 _Also, before the reviews, I'd like to apologize once again for the dubious content of the ending of the last chapter before I changed it. Retrospective is a beautiful and unrelenting teacher, one that has taught me well. You didn't come to this story for that kind of content, so this story will not contain such content. You can read on knowing this story has gotten as spicy as it is going to. If you can handle the hot spring scene, you'll have no problem with the rest of what gets written here. That doesn't mean the Zelink will stop, of course. Once that train gets going, nothing can stop it. So look forward to more of cuteness and not as much sexiness. Not in this story at least. I've got plans for the future..._

 _Journey onwards to the reviews! Starting with...*Scrolls because damn, there were a lot this time* Nightwing! Glad you thought it was cute, hope I didn't annoy you too much by changing it. My problem with American TV stems from all the boring, tired tropes. I can predict so many of them just because I can see them coming so easily and find so many of the contrivances just that, not to mention boring. At least anime is almost always throwing something bullshit crazy into the mix. Garion, yes it did. I'll eventually get around to more Zelda chapters for 'Revival of the Goddess' and we'll get to see more of that. Because who doesn't love hormones? (He asked ironically) I'm not sure what to think of your obsession with Link's massages, especially since I don't really like people touching me like that, but let your imagination run wild. But not too wild. You know what, regulate yourself, I'm not your parent. Foopuff, yep, sorry I broke you. Though I'm not sure why a five-year-old is reading this...oh well, sounds like someone else's problem. Sorry to trigger you? I guess? But yes, I think I can agree that you may have a problem. And your story. *Frantically flips pages of notes* Yeah, I did do that, didn't I? Sorry, memory is shit, but yeah, keep it up! And good for you for (mostly) practicing proper firework safety measures. I just hope you made sure to pick the fingers you don't use as much. Imagine loosing a thumb. Or don't, 'cause that's gross. I haven't seen 'Your Name' though I've heard it's really good. Wolfy, thanks for the encouragement! Sorry to keep you waiting so long, I hope you haven't been sitting on your couch this whole time. Though I'm not much better I guess. Twilit Lord, correct, that's why I changed it, complaints or no. Cheers for the reality check. Daaazer, (that's a lot of 'a's) thank you! Glad you're enjoying. Silverblood, how dare you not take time out of your own life to give me, a random stranger on the Internet, gratification for a job well done. Though that last part is debatable. Hope you are/did enjoy your summer. I'm going back to school next week, because apparently college hates me. *Sigh...* Yes, /action/. (It's hard to write italics when you're already writing in italics you know) If you liked that, keep an eye out. I've got another story in the works (i.e. actually being written, not just vague ideas) that will have similar *ahem* /action/. And you know, I always thought the same thing, but once you get your mind in the gutter, it's surprising just how easy it is. Almost concerningly so. Foopuff again, yeah, me too. Sand Seal, thanks for the honest response. All of your feedback keeps this story from flying completely off the rails. Please calm down, I'd get in a lot of trouble if you ordered a nuclear strike on me. Plus, the whole vaporized in an explosion as hot as the fucking Sun bit. Oracle, understandable, unfortunately there is no effective way to convey sarcasm in text. A true tragedy of our age. Thank you all the same. Ancalagon, that's a hell of a name you've got there. Thank you for continuing to read! I sometimes wonder what someone was thinking when they first discover something, like 'let's try combining all this stuff. Hey look, weird looking liquid. Let's try drinking it and see if I stop coughing.' Weird stuff. I see Link's 'experiment' as the natural extension of that. Twilit Lord the second, y'all gotta calm down._

 _Geez, you guys always demand so much of me, leaving so many reviews. What do you mean, it's my fault for choosing to respond to each one of you? I don't see your point and will therefore assume you are an idiot and wrong. This is the Internet after all. On a more serious note, like I said above, school is starting for me again. This will either lead to more drive to write or the drastic decrease in time to do said writing, all of which is at the whim of my inspiration. Sooo...story shall continue! Eventually! I make no promises. However, thank you to everyone who has been favoriting and following 'Revival of the Gods', I see every one of the notifications and am always thankful. Even more so to those of you who choose to review. So keep doing the things and I'll see you all next time. The long awaited water dungeon is here! Get ready for some obnoxious puzzles! And above all, remember, if you don't get water on your shirt while washing the dishes, you aren't doing it right! Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


	37. Chapter 37

We were in a fine mood right up to the point that I had to actually get in the water. Turns out the important part of the phrase 'crisp, cool spring water' is the 'cool' part. Deciding to be bold, I had jumped straight into the stream bisecting the room we were in. Within five seconds, I was sitting on the stone next to Zelda, frantically trying to get as much water out of my clothes as possible, cussing up a storm.

"Damnitstupidfuckcoldshitwaterfuckingidiot…would you stop laughing and help warm me up?" I spat with no small amount of vitriol. Zelda didn't stop laughing but did manage to hold out the end of her scepter and radiate heat towards me, quickly warming, if not completely drying, my clothes.

"Thank you," I grumbled, waiting for Zelda's giggles to subside. I could tell she was trying to say something, but between her laughter and my own unwillingness to listen, I completely missed what she was going to say. "You know, I doubt you would find it so funny if you were the one getting a surprise ice bath."

"No, probably not," she said, finally able to speak clearly. "You were just so confident. Jumped right in and immediately started thrashing like something bit your leg." She tried to hold her giggling back, but I could see that her mirth was buried just under the surface. Clearly, she didn't understand the depth of my pain.

"Well, maybe we should find out for sure," I said, slowly stepping towards her, making her step back in surprise and just a hint of fear.

"You wouldn't," she said, not sounding particularly confident in the statement. "Besides, you wouldn't do that to a girl, would you?" I was slowly but steadily backing her into a corner between the wall and the underground river.

"I yearn for true gender equality, Zelda. I have no patience for one who talks about female privilege when it suits them, and then complains about someone 'not being a man' when it's convenient." She gave me a confused look as I finally got right up in her face. "It means, someone else is going in the drink." I immediately grabbed her to throw her in the water.

Well, _tried_ to. One quick burst of light after I grabbed her shoulder, I was lying against the wall, trying to blink the spots out of my eyes. Dizzy and disoriented, the blurs in my vision slowly resolved into a rather unsympathetic looking Zelda.

"Fucking ow," I grunted, pushing myself back to my feet.

"I'm not apologizing," Zelda said, arms crossed and with a steely look in her eyes.

Grumbling quietly, I scooped my sword up off the ground and immediately noticed that it had somehow gone from being room temperature to feeling like it had just come out of a glacier. Just looking at it, I could see cold vapor hugging the blade.

"What in Hyrule is that?" Zelda exclaimed, rushing over and just barely restraining herself from touching the ultra-cold metal. Her focus changed almost immediately to something dripping from the ceiling. She slipped a small stick she had found somewhere under the drip, only for it to freeze and break apart as soon as the liquid made contact. "Some kind of super cold liquid? Liquid oxygen? Carbon dioxide? Does it not affect metal? No, that doesn't make sense…"

As Zelda mumbled away, I was experimenting with the cold layer on my sword. It did seem to be a layer, coming very, very close to the blade but not actually contacting it. I moved it close to a puddle and watched it freeze over before my eyes. I swung the Master Sword a little faster, but the water froze all the same. Flicking the blade along the floor, I saw the cold aura lessen and disappear from around the sword. At the same time, a small patch of ice on the opposite wall caught my attention. An idea came to mind.

"…if its natural? How is it forming? This mountain peak isn't high enough to be that cold though. What kind of liquid is this?!" Zelda exclaimed as I turned back to her. Putting my hand on her shoulder and nudging her away, I held the Master Sword under the freezing leak, letting the drops plink against the faintly glowing metal, the cold aura immediately reappearing.

"Zelda, in these situations, there's one very important factor you haven't considered." I could see the gears of her mind spinning frantically as she reanalyzed everything she had been considering with a cute look of concentration on her face.

"No, there's definitely nothing I missed. It can't be an ancient reservoir, the flow is too steady and someone would have noticed, no spring is that cold, it would freeze over, liquid oxygen and other super cold fluids don't occur naturally-"

"That's your problem," I interrupted. Zelda looked at me with utter confusion as I took a step back towards the flowing river bisecting the room. Hefting my sword, I focused on the same energy in the Master Sword I had used just a few minutes ago. Swinging the legendary blade vertically, I pushed the frigid power surrounding the blade out in the direction of the swing. An arc of icy energy sailed across the wide stream, instantly freezing the water beneath it and forming a makeshift bridge. Zelda blinked repeatedly, as if she couldn't believe what she had just witnessed. "Handy little thing, don't you think; magic."

"That's annoyingly convenient," she said, poking at the icy path with her foot to ensure it wouldn't crumble underneath her.

"I've found magic usually is," I said as I sauntered past, Master Sword slung over my shoulder.

My cocky attitude lasted until I stepped foot on the ice and gravity reminded me that, for how awesome my heroing outfit was, the boots did not have ice grips on the bottom. At least I managed to avoid falling back in the water.

* * *

A day and a half later, Zelda and I staggered up to the final door of the dungeon. Well, I staggered. Zelda sort of fell onto her back and slid the remaining four feet to the base of the door on the ice coating the ground. I was tempted to do the same, but I knew if I collapsed now, I wouldn't want to stand back up, regardless of how cold and rocky the ground was.

Thirty-four and a half hours.

A good amount of time by anyone's estimations, but when you're wandering around an underground, icy, wet labyrinth full of creepy, jumping waterbugs and spindly creatures made of ice, desperately trying to solve a single massive puzzle, it's even worse. Zelda and I hardly had any time to rest, and even when we did, the constant cold made it far from refreshing. The constant humidity and icy air wicked warmth away from us until we were nothing but exhausted, freezing, and miserable.

It was only due to trial, error, and a bit of luck that we managed to figure out how to freeze a massive tower into existence in the center of the dungeon and then keep it frozen long enough for us to get to the top and end up in the first warm-ish room we had found since we ventured into the mountain.

"Ugh…..you're going to hate me, but I could really go for a bit of Death Mountain's heat," I groaned.

"I would, and I'd totally hit you for it," I heard her say from somewhere to my left. "But I can't feel my left hand and all I can think is that I bet a volcano's caldera is better than this."

"Well, look at it this way. If the final challenge of this place is anything like the last one, all you'll have to do is sit back and watch as I inevitably get my ass kicked." Zelda shuffled to her feet and I heard her footsteps move towards where I was leaning against the door.

"Link, you know I love you," she said slowly. "But I am more than game for that right now." Zelda gave a sharp tug on the massive door, causing it to slowly start sliding open.

"Your bravery is inspiring." I reluctantly followed after Zelda encouraged by the warmer air leaking out of the doorway. Unsurprisingly, we found ourselves in a large circular room with no apparent exit.

"Welcome, seeker who would hold the Triforce of Wisdom. You stand before the final challenge. Your companion will be-"

"Yep, doesn't seek the Triforce, will be excluded, we know," I interrupted the disembodied voice, wanting to get out of the damn mountain as soon as we could.

"Very well," the voice said, sounding slightly irritated at being interrupted before the hint of inflection disappeared. "Wisdom is the most elusive of the gifts of the Triforce. Wisdom is restraint, holding yourself back from that which you desire to do. It is the foresight to create a plan and hear the words of others. Wisdom is mastering yourself in the face of all hardship. It is control, perseverance, and caution. Prove yourself as one who does not merely charge into challenge but understands it and overcomes it."

Just like it did in the depths of Death Mountain, a golden cage appeared around where Zelda was sitting against the wall, who merely waved at me in encouragement. "Easy for her to say when she's not the one fighting the monster," I mumbled, turning back to face the center of the room. The was no monster though. Instead, a giant of a man stood with his back to me in long robes delicately patterned with symbols. From what I could see of him, he was the very definition of barrel-chested. Wide shoulders, thick chest, and an overall body shape that gave the impression of a slightly rounded square. Hints of short-cut red hair poked out from above his high collar.

"Does the wind still blow in this unchanging land? I may be but an echo, but I still remember what this place used to be. And now I guard the very thing I sought for so long." Wary in the extreme, I silently drew the Master Sword and took a slow step towards the man. No other challenge had been like this, nothing else had displayed sentience. I took another cautious step and the man shifted, light glinting off twin swords I hadn't noticed in his hands until then. "Wisdom. I searched for it for so long, only to have it snatched from me at the last moment. Perhaps that was my true folly." The giant of a man paused, looking up at the ceiling of the room. "But that is not why you are here. You are here to prove yourself of the prize I failed to win." He gripped the swords tighter, light glinting off their sharpened edges. "Well then," he said, finally turning. "Let's see if your wisdom is greater than mine." A maniacal grin on his face that bore a striking resemblance to the man who had recently chased us out of Kakariko.

Our swords clashed as we both closed the distance between us. From the first strike, I knew it would be a fight unlike the others I had fought. Those had always been against creatures that fought with anger and rage. Instinct. This was different, more akin to the sparing I had done against Sheik during my training. We clashed, trading a flurry of blows before separating and circling each other, watching for the barest hint of weakness.

The fight went on for minutes on end, alternating between steady circling and frantic clashes. Each time we collided, one of us would come away with another scratch or bruise. I lost count of how many hits I took quickly, but it was definitely the majority. The giant man began favoring his left arm after a drew a viscous slice along the bicep of his right. A few minutes later, I took a crushing blow from the flat of his sword to my left leg when I failed to duck away quickly enough. It was a fight of attrition; one I would lose if I didn't change my tactics.

In a moment of inspiration, I reached for the pulsing power of Courage, hoping to summon up the extreme speed and strength I had felt on Death Mountain. I felt the Triforce respond, but it was sluggish and muted, and all I gained for my efforts was another slice from my opponent that I barely managed to avoid.

"Courage will not help you here," the man said, pressing his attacks, which I barely managed to parry. "I am not here to test you daring! Show me your intelligence, not your belligerence!" he cried, pushing me back even further. I tried pushing back, but couldn't find anything close to an opening to take advantage of. It was everything I could do to keep avoiding and parrying strikes while trying not to lose more ground. I deflected a harsh blow with my shield and realized I was running out of room as the man backed me towards the wall.

Suddenly struck by inspiration, I deliberately backed further towards the wall, trying to make it look like I was being forced in that direction. Careful not to make my ploy obvious, I lured the beast of a man further and further towards the wall. It wasn't really that hard; I was on the defensive in every sense of the word. Finally spying an opportunity, I baited my opponent. Blocking a swipe from one sword, I left my legs exposed and immediately backed away from the ensuing slash to them. Doing my best to make it appear that I was off guard, I let my shield stray away from my center. Just as I hoped, the man followed up with a sharp thrust at my abdomen.

Twisting myself as best I could, I curved away from the blade as it slid along the chainmail I had under my tunic before the sword embedded itself in the wall. A flicker of surprise on my enemy's face was all I needed to get in under his guard and leave a burning slash along his inner arm. Momentarily crippled from the pain and loss of control of his arm, I pushed the large man back with a sharp jab from my shoulder before pressing my attack.

Despite the man being down an arm and sword, he was still surprisingly capable, not to mention fast. However, he was still at a sever disadvantage to my sword-shield combo. It wasn't more than a minute before gaps in his defense appeared that I easily took advantage of. Ducking under a strong slice, I rolled around my enemy, cutting at his hamstrings. Coming back up around his other side, I threw my shield up to deflect another attack and thrust the Master Sword into his chest.

We froze, our back and forth at an end. The wound was clearly mortal and the man grinned wryly. "Clever boy," he grunted, his edges starting to flake off into golden motes. "Then again, you always were. I look forward to seeing if you can really end this. Maybe the old man had a point. End the cycle." His last words came out in a whisper as he finished dissolving.

The motes of golden light swirled around the room, casting flickering lights on the rough carvings on the wall and the trio of triangles embedded in the middle of the room. Gradually the points of soft luminance gathered together, sticking to each other as they formed a tighter and tighter form. One bright flash later, a familiar looking glittering triangle floated in front of me. Remembering what happened last time, I gently pressed my hand to the glowing surface.

There was a moment of the same soul probing energy I had felt when I claimed the Triforce of Courage before the light faded from the room and the golden barrier surrounding Zelda flickered out. A few uncomfortable moments of my skin knitting itself back together later, I was back on my feet and as good as ever. Two triangles sat side by side on my hand, twinkling with hidden brilliance. Zelda walked up to me and took my hand in hers, examining the twin shapes on it before letting it fall into hers and rest at our sides.

"I think its about time to get out of this mountain and see some sunlight again," she said.

"That's the best thing you've said all week," I agreed, eager to be out of the oppressive darkness and cold. "I think we'd better find somewhere to rest. I can't help but feel that even with this burst of energy, I'm going to fall over really soon."

* * *

As usual, getting out of the dungeon was the easy part. One quick slide down a massive ice pillar and we only had the long walk out of the cave until we were out in the open air again.

"Huh," I said, looking around and then down at my phone. "I guess we're so tired because it's the middle of the night."

"Very astute," Zelda said, walking along the edge of the small pond outside the cave.

"Where are you going?" I asked, watching her walk away. Well, more specifically watching how her hips moved when she walked away.

I plead exhaustion.

"I'm going to high ground so I can maybe get a moment of dry, or even not soaking wet rest." She glanced over her shoulder at me, eyes narrowing slightly. "You're welcome to join me. If you're quite finished ogling me, that is."

I abashedly averted my eyes. "Sorry," I managed to mumble out.

Again, I plead exhaustion.

It only took about fifteen minutes of walking for us to get out of the hollow we were in and to rather dry ground. I was only too happy to pull two sleeping bags out of my infinite pouch and lay them down on the hillside. We settled down in them under the glittering stars when two things happened.

Four small explosions of dirt erupted from the hillside a short distance away, skeletal fingers clawing at the now loose dirt. A trio of small skeletons crawled out and pieced themselves back together, one of them brandishing another's arm as it wiggled about, grasping for its owner. The fourth skeleton was larger and appeared more lizard-like. They all looked around in a jerky fashion, at which point both my and Zelda's phones must have connected to the cell network again as they came alive, blaring their sounds into the quiet night.

All four of the monsters swiveled to face us before beginning to charge us. Zelda was the quick of us to react, blasting a beam of light from her hand that missed the agile lizard skeleton only to vaporize two of the smaller ones standing behind it. The nimble monster ran in a zig-zag pattern towards us, only to meet the divine steel of the Master Sword. It crumbled to pieces, the head thrashing around before I chopped it in half. Zelda was quick to freeze the feet of the last monster in place just in time for me to decapitate it and chop the flying skull in half in mid-air.

"I thought Stal monsters hadn't been seen in hundreds of years," Zelda said, sitting back down on her sleeping bag. I slammed the Master Sword back into its sheath, dropping it and myself back onto my own bedding, snatching my phone up at the same time.

"Looks like you might need to reevaluate that statement," I said absent mindedly, quickly flicking between different pages on my screen. "'Citizens are advised to stay in their homes as reports of monster sightings continue to come into local police. The castle has still not issued a statement as to the possible cause of the sudden appearance of many creatures long thought to be extinct. We will be keeping you updated with any further developments…monsters seen to form crude weapons…stay inside…call police…'" I read out as I glanced through an article and others like it. "Text from Hunter asking where we are, text from Shade asking where we are, text from Hunter asking where the hell we are, text from Sheik asking where the fuck we are…and response from Hunter says…" I looked through the response quickly and my face fell even further.

"What is it?" Zelda asked, looking down at my phone from above. My exhaustion addled mind managed to keep my eyes to my phone and not down her shirt.

"Ganondorf reappeared at the castle, delivering Ruin's ultimatum. Not that it's much of one. He's going to destroy the world. The monsters are just the start of him gathering his power." I looked up at her from beneath my eyebrows. "We need to get to the last piece of the Triforce now. We're out of time."

* * *

 _Dun dun dun...ooo, spooky. Sure is going to be exciting. If I can ever manage to get it written._

 _Hello everyone, it is I, Aro. The named nameless phantom. The ever elusive. The idiot who can't find time to write a story that he promised to finish. And I will, damn it. It might just take a little. Doesn't help that, school, work, and just a few other things have kept me busy for the past...five...months...heh, sorry 'bout that. Not even worth it if you ask me, maybe it's just because I have to write this chapter, but damn if I don't hate this chapter. What I was really dreading was having to write another damn dungeon. You guys might like them, but I absolutely do not. If anyone asks me to be a video game level designer, I am turning them down, straight up. I am not cut out for such things. Thus, I apologize to everyone who was looking forward to another one, but I just can't. Unique layout, gimmick, items, enemies...I'm just not up for it. I'm at the point where I just need to get to the end of this. Because that's the part that I've had planned out for actual years at this point. I'm almost there. Bear with me._

 _Let's do some reviews then. Twilit Lord for the first time (you keep managing to find ways to review twice, very sneaky), yeah yeah, Ganondorf is boring, too bad, don't care. He's riding a Harley Bolson... *frantic googling* ...yes. Definitely. Water Temple, sure, let's go with that. I mean, there was water and a temple, you just didn't see any of it. You're welcome. I know how italics work, its just how I like to format these notes that makes it weird. Oracle, glad you liked it! I always love the weird ways to beat bosses in Zelda games. Couldn't help but throw in a cheeky reference. Glad you got the right image of the chase too. I always worry I'm not describing things well enough, so hearing that makes me happy. As far as making a good anime, I leave that up to you. Alfred, it is not abandoned and never shall be. Thanks for reading. Nightwing, ooo, that's a cool image too. I like it. Silverblood, I don't know what you're talking about, Zelda said how it works. Makes sense to me. Ganondorf is indeed back and he is kind of like you describe. I'm thinking he looks like the re-hydrated Ganondorf pictures, but more Twilight Princess Ganondorf's figure. I just can't have him be massive, he's still a young man. Think what a young Ganondorf might look like and you're probably close. As for defeating him...wait and see. And thank you, I did and will continue to do so. Guest, no, I cannot. Princessa, thank you, thank you, please send all flowers to my publisher. Really glad you like it, and I'm happy to hear that Link and Zelda are coming across like I want them to. That's always the biggest worry, that I'm not staying in character. I'm glad someone reads these damn notes too, I put enough work into them. LvH (your name has no good abbreviation), glad you were able to catch up, fluff shall continue apace! Thomas, I have and will endeavor to continue to do so. Twilit again, cool stuff!_

 _A'ight that's done, and hopefully the next chapter won't take another five months to come out. It shouldn't, since I actually want to write the next portion and should have some time to do so with the break from school. But you know what's really important. The Witcher. Damn good show, its everything I wanted Game of Thrones to be. More fantasy, less politics, absolutely fantastic, especially if you've played the games or read the books. Would recommend, as long as you're of a mature age. Anyways, time to get a move on. Stuff to do and all that. Thanks again for reading and sticking with this mess of a story. Next chapter soon, hopefully. Be sure to review if you want it faster. Or if you don't. Not sure why that'd be the case, but that's the way it be sometimes. Anyways, cheers all and see you next time (metaphorically)._

 _~Aro_


	38. Chapter 38

The only good thing about the nationwide monster attacks was that people were actually taking the suggestion to stay inside to heart. The roads were empty, allowing us to get up to ludicrous speeds on the highway. They only had to stop a few times to deal with packs of monsters that had wandered onto the road. Fortunately, monster bits made for great fuel for the Master Cycle.

"That continues to be super gross," Zelda said as I methodically tossed in the last few bits of demon organs for the bike to break down. A short 'hmm' was all the response I could muster. "At least we're almost halfway there," Zelda mused, looking at where we were on her phone. I 'hmm'd again, brushing the last of the now disintegrated monsters off my hands, hitting the button for the Master Cycle to close its fuel hatch again. I must have been extremely focused on what I was doing because I completely missed what she said next. I gave it another 'hmm' and called it good, climbing back on my bike, waiting for Zelda to climb on behind me so we could keep going. I waited for just a moment before a tap on my shoulder startled me out of my revere.

"Link, are you okay?" Zelda asked, looking concerned.

"Yeah, sure. Why?" I was confused as to why she was so consternated.

"I was talking to you for the past two minutes. You haven't moved an inch since you sat down." She suddenly got right up in my face, making me blink rapidly and jerk back, nearly losing my balance and tipping the Master Cycle while I was at it. "Your eyes are horribly bloodshot," she said, snapping her fingers in my ear, startling me again. She waved her hand in front of my eyes and my hand automatically shot up to grab it. I held her arm tight until I saw her wincing slightly, at which point I immediately let go.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt? I didn't mean to- "

"It's fine," Zelda said quickly, shaking it off like nothing. "You are not fine though. You're clearly exhausted and in no shape to be driving, much less saving the world. You…we need to rest or we're not going to be doing anyone any good." I shook my head, ignoring how the world took a second to stop blurring together.

"We don't have time for that. Who knows what's going on right now? The castle could be under attack, or Ganondorf might be on our tail, or maybe Ruin is marching on Hyrule as we speak. We don't have time to rest. Besides, where would we go? We're in the middle of nowhere standing on the highway." Zelda quirked her head.

"Okay, well first of all, if any of that is happening right now, as we are right now, we're likely to be more of a liability than a help. Second, you've been running nonstop for almost three days," she said, pointing in the direction we had come from. It took me a moment to realize what she meant, but soon enough I realized that I could see the glow of the sun coming from behind the Dueling Peaks. "Third," Zelda continued, pulling my focus back again. "We're hardly in the middle of nowhere. There's an exit a mile ahead for the Temple of Time. Monk Koshia and High Priestess Imani both said we were welcome in the Temple if we ever needed help. I think this definitely counts."

I started to argue with her, not that she didn't have any good points, but she was quick to interrupt. "Please Link, you need to rest. You're about to fall over. You can't keep going like this." I vaguely shook my head again. Zelda huffed, before playing the dirty card. "If you won't do it for you, do it for me. I'm worried about you, Link." I sighed.

"You know I can't say no to you," I grumbled. Reluctant as I was to admit it, my eyes did feel rather heavy.

And the horizon didn't seem to be on straight.

"Scooch back," Zelda said, pushing gently on my chest until I reluctantly let go of the handlebars. "I don't trust you to drive anymore.

* * *

By the time I blinked, we were pulling up to the Temple of Time and Zelda was nudging me to get off. Quick thinking was all that prevented me from ending up face first in the dirt. More following Zelda than anything else, we stumbled into the Temple, quickly finding one of the priestesses to get the High Priestess. We were quickly ushered into the abbey portion of the temple.

In a last-ditch effort to stay awake, I refused to sit down on the couch in the room we were shown to. Once Zelda pointed it out, I couldn't stop feeling exhaustion creeping up on me. I could feel, down to my bones, that the instant I got comfortable, I would be out like a light.

Fortunately, Priestess Imani arrived quickly. I only realized how bad we must have looked when she visibly cringed. After a quick assessment that was none too quick, my lethargic mind picked up on why. I was the worse for wear, hero tunic torn and dirty, still in the middle of repairing itself. The Hylian Shield was scratched and scuffed, mud covered my boots, my hair was a mess, some of the ash and dirt from Death Mountain still present in it. Small scratches and bruises littered my arms, and a few were even visible through slowly shrinking holes in my pants. Zelda was somewhat better, less beat up in general, but still looked dirty and worn. It was evident that we could both use a good shower and a nap. Or five in my case.

"By the Goddesses' Grace, you two seem to have been through quite the ordeal." Zelda, somewhat more awake thankfully took care of the talking.

"We haven't had a chance to rest for the last few days. When did the monster attacks start?" Imani looked us over again before responding.

"They hit the news last night, though we first saw worshipers showing up to the Temple the day before that. Though it is somewhat unfortunate, it is a blessing all its own that, in times of trouble, the people turn to the gods and their faith is renewed." The High Priestess stopped for a moment, offering a silent prayer before coming back to herself. "Enough of that though, you two look terrible. Sister Metri here will show you to rooms where you can rest and recover.

"Thank you," Zelda said, a sentiment I tried to mirror while keeping my eyes open; a losing battle. Not to mention that I hadn't even noticed the mousy, black-haired girl until she was mentioned.

The walk to our rooms was short, their appearance very similar to the ones we had stayed in during our previous visit. Eager as I was to fall just fall into bed, Zelda forced me to at least wash off some of the dirt I had accumulated over the past several days. Not that I really noticed anyways. The sight of the cushy pillow and tidy bed danced in front of my eyes, as I washed the first layer of grime off my chest and out of my hair. I couldn't even enjoy Zelda doing the same and helping me, my eyelids were so heavy. Blindly following Zelda once again, I somehow ended up with a pair of sweatpants on as Zelda climbed into a bed wearing short shorts and a loose shirt. She was looking at me like she was waiting for my response for something, but I had no memory of even hearing her talk. Seeing a large portion of unoccupied bed and finally giving up any attempt at staying awake, I collapsed into the bed, managing to get an arm around my girlfriend more by accident than anything else, and promptly passed the fuck out.

* * *

Light was shining on my eye. Efforts to escape it failed, as something warm and slowly breathing held me tight from behind. Finally, I forced myself to move, if only to escape the constant irritation of the sun. Rolling over, I immediately bumped into Zelda's head, which started me enough for my foot to escape the warmth of the blankets we were lying under, all of which woke me up just enough to make falling back asleep impossible. Just what I wanted.

Zelda, to her credit, hardly reacted to my unintentional headbutt, only moving enough to pull me slightly closer, which was a good enough consolation to being awake. Glancing around at the room we were in; I saw that it was either the same room I had stayed in before or an exact copy of it. I spied my phone on the desk next to the bed. Without too much trouble, I managed to wrest my arm free and grab it.

Turning it on, I saw that it was about 4 in the afternoon. I felt surprisingly well rested for only having slept for about nine hours. At least, that's what I thought until I saw my unread texts. Multiple unread messages from Hunter, Sheik, Shade, and even Felia, all reading as received yesterday. None of which I remember seeing before I went to bed. A bit of quick math and I realized two horrifying truths.

I had slept for almost 36 hours straight. And I was devilishly hungry.

"What the hell?" I grumbled, dropping my phone onto my lightly bandaged chest. Someone had seemingly bandaged my wounds, since I definitely didn't before I fell asleep. The thought of it potentially being Zelda was both endearing and somewhat embarrassing. Who wouldn't love being doted on by their girlfriend? At the same time, Zelda trying to shift my unconscious body as I flopped around wasn't all that befitting of a hero.

A minute later, Zelda shifted again, slowly becoming more awake. Accidentally moving her face into another beam of light, her nose scrunched adorably as she tried to bury her face into my side to escape it. She made a small noise of irritation and tried to press her face between my side and the sheets to hide from the light.

"Link, the sun's bullying me. Make it go away," she mumbled into the bed.

"Can't, sorry," I said, gently running my fingers through her hair with a stupid smile on my face.

"Some hero you are," she grumbled, still fighting her losing battle with the encroaching sun.

"Some goddess you are," I shot back. "Foiled by a little bit of light. Aren't you a goddess of light?" Zelda slowly raised herself up from the bed, her hair messy and cheeks flushed. She shoved her long golden locks entirely over one shoulder, partially obscuring one of her eyes. In her tank top and shorts, she was effortlessly, adorably sexy.

I reached up, sitting up so I could reach her, but she pulled back, moving away before I could get to her. She shook her head.

"No, no kisses for you. You don't deserve it after being such a terrible hero."

"Because I couldn't turn off the sun?" I asked. She nodded, making a small noise of affirmation. "Hm, fair enough, I guess. It is truly my fault for not having the ability to control nature itself. How did you know I was going to kiss you though?" We both ran our fingers through our hair, trying to restore some semblance of order to our tangled bedheads.

"You had kissy eyes," Zelda said, as if it was the simplest thing.

"'Kissy eyes?' How do you know what that is?"

"Women know. How else would we be so good at kissing? We know when guys really want it."

"How badly do I want it?" Zelda smiled.

"You always want to kiss me. If it wasn't for the whole 'save the world' quest, I don't think you'd ever stop, if I let you at least."

"No, I mean right now." She looked at me for a moment before going back to running her fingers through her hair, restoring it to its usual neat sheet of gold.

"Oh, you're really desperate now. I think you're half-crazy with it."

"Well, crazy people do strange things," I said, inching my way across the bed towards her. "Do you think you can keep a crazed man from kissing you as much as he wants?" She quickly scampered off the bed.

"No, you're not allowed to get kisses. You left your poor maiden in distress. That means you failed as a hero. Failed heroes don't get kisses," she said, slowly backing up to keep the distance between us the same as I advanced towards her.

"You forget though, I'm desperate. Mad with love. Who knows what I'll do?" Without warning, I sprang towards her, attempting to grab her, but she moved away, letting out a small yelp. She kept dodging my attempts to catch her giggling and squealing every time I lunged for her. Both of us were laughing loudly when a short rap came at the door.

"Your Grace, Hero, we have some food prepared for you," came the voice of High Priestess Imani from the other side of the door. "I'd also like to remind you that this is a place for the gods and should be treated with respect." Our already flushed faces turned a shade darker as we realized just how loud we must have been being. "The food is ready in the dining hall," Imani finished. The sharp clack of her shoes signaled her departure.

Suitably reprimanded, Zelda and I dressed quickly. "That was embarrassing," she said the warm flush not leaving her cheeks.

"Yeah," I agreed, finishing pulling on my shirt, leaving the rest of my gear alone for the time being. "There was one good thing about it though."

"What's that?" Zelda asked, distracted by her shoes as she slipped them on.

"You stopped moving," I said, before ducking down and stealing a kiss from her pink lips. Ignoring her exclamations of playful outrage, I ran out the door, laughing madly.

As we were scarfing down as much food as we could, we were joined by Monk Koshia, who asked us about our journey since he had last seen us, showing particular in the Triforce when we mentioned it. He was awestruck when I showed him the two glimmering triangles on the back of my hand.

"This is incredible," he said breathlessly. "The Triforce has not been sought in ages, much less found and assembled into its whole form. For you to already be in possession of two of the pieces bodes well. Though I worry we are running out of time."

I carefully swallowed my mouthful of food before answering. "Yeah, I figure the sudden appearance of monsters means Ruin is summoning an army of some sort. He must almost be ready to make his move." Maz nodded in agreement.

"I feel the same way. We are dreadfully short on time. I'm glad you two had the chance to rest now. I'm afraid you may not get many opportunities to do so again until your task is done."

"Thank you again for your hospitality. We'd be far less prepared if it wasn't for all the help you've given us here," Zelda said, once again more composed than me when given access to an all-you-can-eat feast. Maz waved her words away.

"It is our honor to give you all the assistance we can. We would be betraying ourselves if we were to turn our backs to anyone in need, even more so the Hero and Goddess. I would advise you to stay as long as you need to, but…"

"We need to leave as soon as possible," I said, all too aware that the enemy was putting their plans into motion as we spoke.

"Dark is falling," Monk Koshia said warningly. "The resurrected monsters are much more active once the sun sets. You may have trouble making progress."

"That's a risk I'll take. We've spent enough time recovering. It's time to get the last piece and finish this," I said, finishing the last bit of my food. "We'll leave within the hour." Maz nodded.

"I suspect I'll not see the both of you until you have finished your quest, so I will wish you both well. Make for the desert with all haste and know you carry the hopes of all of us with you." With that, he stood and left, making for the temple sanctuary.

As promised, Zelda and I were driving out of the overfull parking lot of the Temple of Time half an hour later, continuing our trek west.

"That really is a lot of cars," I heard Zelda say from behind me as we drove. Lining the road on both sides was an unbroken line of parked vehicles that went on for ages.

"Makes sense though. Monsters out of myth start appearing, trusting in the gods makes more sense than usual. The Temple is probably serving as an evacuation center and sanctuary for everyone for miles around."

"Makes sense," she said, absently watching the variety of cars and trucks we passed. Suddenly, she hit me on the shoulder and pointed into the darkness. "Look!" I slowed down and turned to stare into the growing darkness surrounding us.

At first, I didn't see anything. "What am I look-" My question died in my mouth as I watched the earth moving. _"No, not the ground,"_ I realized. _"Monsters. Those are monsters. And they're moving towards the Temple."_

With a quick turn, I spun the Master Cycle around and started accelerating in the direction we had just come from.

"Link! What are you doing?!" Zelda yelled, forcing me to stop again.

"Those monsters are headed for the Temple!" I said, pulling my helmet off to look at her more easily. "There's no way they can beat all of them. We have to help them."

"No, we need to keep going!" she exclaimed, finally stopping me in my tracks. I looked at her incredulously. "Look," she explained, "if monsters have been roaming around for the last few days, they must have been attacked already. Plus, with the number of people there, they must all be coming together for better protection. The Temple has some magic warding, thanks to the worship there, and with the Sheikah monks and priestesses there, its probably the best protected place in the country after the castle. Besides, if they needed help, they would have asked."

"No, they wouldn't. Maz Koshia wouldn't keep us from retrieving the Triforce, no matter how desperate their situation, and I bet Imani is the same way. They know we're the only hope to end this all."

"Exactly why we need to keep going. If they didn't ask for help, they must be confident they can hold the monsters off."

"That doesn't matter. We can help, so we have to. I'd be betraying myself if I didn't help them when they're in need," I said, echoing the Elder's words from earlier. Zelda looked at me for a handful of seconds before her eyes softened.

"Yeah, you're right," she relented. Satisfied, I turned back and gunned the engine. I felt a quick press of Zelda's lips on my cheek before my helmet reformed and we raced back to the Temple.

* * *

 _Hello, hello, and welcome back to "Oops, This Chapter Is Really Late." On this episode, Aro continues his pattern of being a dunce and taking forever to actually write something, suddenly finding the inspiration to write most of the damn thing in a day or two (not to mention the one-shot he just posted), and then post the chapter with the absolute bare minimum in proof-reading. Tune in next time to see the exact same damn thing, because really, how many of us actually learn from our mistakes?_

 _Anyways, thank you all for your patience as always. I'm very thankful for having such understanding fans of my stories. Good news, things are really ramping up, so I should, key word should, have more drive to write chapters and finally get this story finished. I'd like to make that happen before the story turns two years old in May, but I think we all know the chances of that happening. Still, before the end of the year is my goal. Just...don't hold me to that._

 _How 'bout some reviews then? Oracle, I try to lean into the studious side of Zelda as much as I can, even though you don't see much of it in this story. You would think she'd learn though...oh well, let's chalk it up to charm. I wonder...(no I don't, I already know, you're...hmm...spoilers...nah, its fine, you're basically right. I'll probably explain more in the future.) I'm glad to hear someone else likes Link's shameless ogling other than me. I usually put it in for me, but it's nice that you can get something out of it too. Twilit Lord, indeed we be back. In black, as the song goes. The gender equality thing...couldn't resist, especially after watching ScottFalco's speedrun videos. Y'all should watch them if you haven't, really interesting and even more hilarious, especially if you've seen some speedruns before. Which I also recommend (AGDQ!) Interesting predictions, especially with that last one...I don't even know what to do with you. It was not intentional, but cool accidental connection. The bike combo explains why I was so damn confused. I can now say again and with more confidence, yes. TwilightWolf, yes, continue to expect sporadic updates! Silverblood, yeah, water temple is only kind of a water temple, sue me. We can either have what I come up with or wait another three months for me to gather the courage to write the whole thing. I know which one I prefer. What do I have in store indeed? I have everything stocked, we're just waiting for the shelf date to come (what a weird analogy). That's a nasty cough you've got there, I'd...you know what, I can't really talk, so I'll leave that to you. WolfyPrincess (different from TwilightWolfPrincess, I sense a lot of TP fans), I don't know, it's your dog. You'd know better than I. Please note, I wrote that we have TP fans before I finished reading your review, but I'm glad to be proven right. It's a damn good game, the one that got me hooked. Friend said 'hey, this is a cool game, you should try it. Here I am...a lot of years later. Joe, if you're reading this, this is all your fault. Nightwing, you are so right. Just kind of in general. WW Ganon is pretty damn cool._

 _A'ight, it's time for class, so I'm going to try to wrap this up quick. Next chapter is the siege on the Temple of Time. I've got a decent idea of what I want to have happen, so that might come out soon-ish. All things are relative, I'll get to it when I get to it. Depends on how much I get done before the 20th. After that, it's rip and tear time. So hype for Doom: Eternal. So who knows what will happen, but we'll get there. In any case, look forward to a good fight next time. I've already got ideas and, provided I'm good at what I do, it should be pretty sweet. Until then, don't delete your system32 and have an above average day! Cheers!_

 _~Aro_


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